


Duty and Sacrifice

by tumblinplace



Series: Duty and Sacrifice [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Arranged Marriage, Azula (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Bisexual Aang (Avatar), Canon Rewrite, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Aang/Katara, Pining, Protective Zuko (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:15:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 46,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26200231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tumblinplace/pseuds/tumblinplace
Summary: The comet didn't come during Sozin’s lifetime. The world has been at war for seventeen years when the Fire Nation and Air Nation settle into an uneasy peace treaty. The Avatar’s hand in marriage to the crown prince of the Fire Nation, symbolizing a new era of peace. But when Prince Zuko finds out this is his father’s deceptive ploy to wait for the comet he will have a difficult choice to make. Will he remain loyal to his country and family or will he throw it all away for Aang?
Relationships: Aang/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Duty and Sacrifice [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1902721
Comments: 172
Kudos: 268





	1. Chapter 1

Zuko lies awake waiting for the sun to rise. He is in bed, warm covers shielding him from the waning yet potent chill of early spring. Snow has left the Fire Nation behind but morning frost spreads an ephemeral veil over the prince’s private garden. His husband has snuck out to meditate and uncharacteristically failed to close the screen door all the way. So, through the narrow opening Zuko watches the ghostly frost, still and serene. 

He knows Aang is sitting by the pond meditating even though the airbender is out of sight. His certainty of this trivial fact is unfounded. The Avatar is by all measures still a stranger to the prince despite their union under matrimony. Zuko has never witnessed the airbender meditate… Each morning when Aang sneaks from their bed to his practice Zuko pretends to sleep through it. For weeks, he has stared at the closed screen door while picturing Aang on the other side, sitting cross legged by the pond, chest bare and face calm - lost in another world. A world away from him.

The airbenders’ miraculous ability to keep warm in the most frigid of climates makes Zuko sour. Afterall, he’s a firebender. The spirits should have granted his people this ability out of all the nations. With it, the war would end a lot quicker - and with much less suffering.

Soft crunches of frozen grass alerts Zuko to the approaching Avatar. Out of habit he snaps his eyes shut and pretends to be asleep. He feels the bed dip and the sheets shift when his husband joins him again. Like every other morning he resists the urge to reach out and feel for the other. He knows his touch would not be welcomed.

“Zuko?” Comes a whisper. “Are you awake?”

The prince betrays nothing. And so the pair of them lay in silence until rays of morning sun sneak past the palace walls. When they finally rise from bed a polite ‘good morning’ is exchanged as they focus on dressing themselves. After washing up from the basins prepared by servants trained to come and go unseen, they have an equally silent breakfast. This is their usual routine. And when Zuko leaves for his courtly duties, Aang stays behind in their quarters for the day - as he has done so everyday. 

An increased number of guards are posted around the prince’s estate ever since the Avatar wed into the royal family. It is clear they are not to keep anyone out, but rather, the prisoner in.

——

After the eastern-front briefing Zuko is free for the day. The momentum of his busy schedule makes him consider pushing on with an extra hour of training. But at the sight of blue skies he quickly dismisses such thoughts. So he heads down a familiar path to the tea garden instead. It’s a brisk but clear day after a season of grey, he is surely to find uncle Iroh there. 

Spring is reclaiming the Fire Nation and the palace tea garden is budding with life. Iroh has become somewhat of a fixture here. Warm tea steams from his cup as he takes a happy whif, humming a cheerful old tune to himself. 

“Nephew! How wonderful it is to see you.” He grins at the sight of Zuko. “Please, take a break and join an old man for tea.”

The old man gestures across the stone table. Zuko obeys as Iroh pours him a cup of jasmine tea.

“It’s good to see you uncle - I was hoping to find you here.”

“Funny how these things work. I too hoped to see you today. The spirits have brought us together!”

“More like warm weather. It’s the first bright day in weeks.” Zuko can’t help but smile.

“Indeed, indeed. But we shall celebrate with tea anyway.”

They cling their cups together as if downing wine. It’s a remnant of Zuko’s childhood when wine was still a contraband to him. In those days cousin Lu Tien would cheer young Zuko with tea to keep him from neglect during galas and ceremonies. Zuko carried this habit into adulthood with Iroh as a form of remembering Lu Tien. Zuko has always been close to Iroh, but after losing his son their bond seems to solidify into something more urgent and needed.

“Is there a reason you hoped to see me today uncle?” Zuko asks after taking a sip. The warm liquid feels pleasant going down.

“Oh yes. I have been to see your lovely groom.” Iroh replies nonchalantly. “He has a bright and optimistic spirit. Quite talkative too.”

“What?” Zuko says dumbly - shocked by this unexpected turn in conversation.

“I gather you two don’t talk much. Poor boy has been going mad with the silence. He was happy to have the company.”

“How… Why? What did you talk about?” Zuko is having trouble pinpointing where to start his line of questioning.

“Hmmm. I walked to your quarters and asked the guards to see the Avatar. They were nice and let me in with no trouble. As for why… We have the Avatar in the capital and no one has seen him since the ceremony! So naturally I was curious. We talked about many things - air pie recipes, sky bison diets, fireflakes, tea… hmm many food related topics.” 

“Did you find out how many elements he’s mastered? Father’s been on me about getting more intel out of Aang…” The Avatar’s name feels strange coming out of his lips. He rarely says it, and it is often accompanied by a feeling of guilt.

“No, we talked around the war. He is sweet natured, but resilient and… He is keeping a brave front but I sense he is in a great deal of pain. It will take a delicate touch to have him open up.” 

“I… I’m no good at this uncle. I don’t understand why father chose me over Azula for this. It feels wrong… Azula’s a great liar. She would be so much better at it.”

“Oh nephew… that is precisely why my brother chose you over Azula. You have a gentle heart - a kindred spirit to Aang -”

“Ha!” Zuko lets out a humorless laugh. It cuts him up from the inside. How he wishes for this to be true. He’s loved the airbender from the moment Aang leaped off his bison and landed in front of him, graceful like a leaf. On their wedding night Zuko feared he did irreparable damage to his love as his father watched on and ordered him to mark and claim the other. Aang’s sobs still haunt him. 

But Iroh is right about the Avatar’s capacity for resilience and forgiveness. Later that very night Aang had held him as Zuko cried and begged for forgiveness. And he gave it to Zuko. They haven’t shared a moment so intimate since... 

“Maybe I am wrong my prince. Nevertheless he is your husband now and you would do well by being a bit more compassionate to your new charge. A kind word from time to time will do a great deal for someone so far away from home.”

The topic of Aang is laid to rest as they continue their chat. They meandered from subject to subject for an hour or so. After several refills of steaming water the tea leaves grew less potent. So when the sun started to dip it signaled to them the time to go.

“I should get back - roast duck tonight. I wouldn’t want to be late for it!” Iroh says at an appropriate lull in their conversation.

“Sounds delicious uncle.” Zuko responds then drains his tea, readying to depart.

“I could send some over to you or have chef Liu pass on the recipe.”

“Thanks - but Aang’s vegetarian. I have told the kitchen to go meatless since our wedding.” Zuko pauses, reminiscing the savory taste of meat. “I don’t think he ate anything on our wedding day… I didn’t want him dying of hunger on my watch.” He adds lamely

Iroh is looking at Zuko with a smile reaching his eyes. “Quite right, quite right.”

Before they part ways Iroh halts and discretely scans the path for lingering souls. “You know, I wonder how the Avatar’s bison is doing in our stables. His name is Appa and I bet he misses his airbender a great deal.” 

—-

The next morning Zuko and Aang do their usual dance. When Aang climbs back in bed after meditating he whispers “Zuko?” expecting silence in return.

“Yes Aang?”

The airbender practically jumps out of bed at the response.

“Oh - huh… did I wake you?”

“No, I usually wake before the sun’s up.”

A pause as the truth sets in for the Avatar. He turns to face Zuko to find the prince’s golden eyes already on him. “So… you mean… you know I have been going out every morning meditating?”

“Yes.” Zuko responds, a bit abrupt and stilted. It felt rude so he adds, “I don’t mind. It’s… nice. This is your home now so you should feel comfortable practicing Air Nomad culture here.”

Aang looks a bit surprised at his comment and adverts his gaze, long lashes obscuring his grey eyes. “I wasn’t sure… if my culture was welcomed here…”

The airbender runs his fingers through his hair. It’s grown out since their wedding, coming in thick and black, covering much of the bender’s tattoo. They have confiscated Aang’s razors and all other sharp objects when he arrived in the Fire Nation. In fact, there is not much by way of a blade in Zuko’s rooms. The royal barber visits in the mornings to keep Zuko looking well groomed. Little attention has been paid to Aang. The airbender hasn’t spoken up so far and the prince suddenly feels inadequate for not asking.

“I’ll be honest with you Aang. It probably isn’t in the capital… For now anyway - After the war ends it will get better... What I’m trying to say is… within these walls, you are safe. And I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.” Zuko reaches for the Avatar’s hand. “I hope one day you will see this as your home.”

Zuko’s heart pounds in his chest, feeling exposed like a nerve. Aang let’s him hold on for a moment before pulling away. He sits up and turns his back to Zuko.

“Thanks.” The word cames out of him cold and formal - a dagger to the prince’s heart.

They resume their routine and neither speak again until Zuko is about to head out for the day. In a move quite out of the ordinary, he goes to Aang before departing. The airbender is doing some busy work over the table where the remnants of their breakfast lay scattered.

Zuko has gotten used to the sight of his husband’s back. Despite their close proximity, he rarely gets the pleasure of looking at Aang outside of stolen glances. He wants to wrap his arms around the shorter man and bury his head in the crook of his neck. He wants to pepper kisses on Aang’s shoulder and tell him how much he cares for him. But he doesn’t do any of that.

“I should be done after lunch today… would you like to visit Appa with me later?” He asks quietly.

The airbender freezes mid motion before setting the plates down. His shoulders quiver a bit and Zuko thinks he hears tear drops hitting the table below. Before he knows any better he’s got an armful of Aang. The Avatar is indeed tearful.

“Yes I would like that very much” Aang says, words muffled by Zuko’s robes.

He closes his arms around the warm body and strokes those dark locks. He places a kiss on top, breathing Aang in before pulling back - fearing if he didn’t he’d lose the ability to let go. 

“If it will make you happy we can visit Appa tomorrow too. And the day after tomorrow. And the day after that…” He says barely above a whisper, both hands still gripping the airbender’s shoulders. 

A smile spread across the airbender’s face - genuine and beautiful Zuko thinks. Aang pulls him in again to hug him warmly. “Thank you.”

—-

At midday Zuko keeps his promise. They take the royal carriage to the stables. It’s tucked away in the outskirts of the palace but the journey on foot would not have been a great trek by any means. Aang knows the carriage is to shield him from prying eyes. He finds it funny, in a humorless way, that the Fire Nation has concocted his arranged marriage to their prince on the pretense of goodwill only to hide him away after, as if ashamed of having a non firebender in their mix.

“Did Iroh tell you about Appa?” Aang asks his companion in the carriage, trying to make conversation.

“Yes. Over tea yesterday. He strongly implied I should take better care of you. I’m sorry I haven’t asked sooner.” Zuko adverts his gaze as an embarrassed and awkward grin graces his usually stoic features.

Zuko is an odd duck. He is polite and stiff around Aang, almost as if afraid or embarrassed. He rarely speaks to the airbender even though they spend most evenings together. They’ve learned very little about each other since meeting over a month ago. Yet the act of sharing a bed every night has instilled a disproportionate sense of intimacy between them. Under the cover of night, Aang often finds himself wanting to fit his body to the hollow of the prince’s. But he pushes those urges out of mind and reminds himself of his reality. He’s a political prisoner and Zuko is his guard.

The carriage drops them off in the closed off yard of the stables. The smell of hay and manure thick in the air. When they exit a line of three stable hands and their foreman greets them with a bow.

“Prince Zuko - what an unexpected but pleasant surprise.” The man keeps his gaze downward out of respect but gives no acknowledgement to Aang.

“Avatar Aang and I are here to see his sky bison. I trust you have been taking good care of our guest.” 

“Yes, of course dear prince.” The man’s voice betrays a nervousness not conveyed in his words. He shoots a glance at his subordinates before saying “If you would follow me you highness.” 

The three men behind him bows and hurries off while the foreman takes them at a leisurely pace. They round a few corners toward the back of the rows of stables before a crashing ruckus is heard from behind a large wooden barn door. It’s followed by a low growl - which to Aang’s ears belongs distinctly to Appa.

“Your highness. You see - We’ve never cared for a flying bison before. There were some challenges -“ Before the quivering man can finish Aang is already sprinting towards the sound.

Zuko watches the airbender leaps and spins midair, and with a wave of his hand a gust blows the barn door wide open. Hay rain down on them as the light reveals a large beast swinging two men by his reins like rag dolls. The third man they saw run off earlier has already crashed into a stack of hay, knocking over several pieces of equipment that caused the ruckus they heard. 

The angry bison looked feral with his fur matted and unkempt. His six giant feet are chained down to the ground. The beast flaps its tail and tries to fly but the chains will not relent.

“You chained down Appa?” Aang shouts, furious. “How dare you! Release him now!”

The workmen’s gazes turn to Zuko, waiting for a translation into instructions they can action.

“You heard the Avatar - release the bison at once.” Zuko repeats, his cold anger echo Aang’s fury.

“But your highness -“ The foreman tries.

“At once.”

Aang’s connection with the bison is evidently strong. Appa quiets and becomes gentle at the airbender’s touch. The stable hands take this opportunity to quickly unlock the chains before scurrying away to a safe distance. Zuko watches Aang lead the bison out of the barn, the beast gentility nudging and licking the young man as he follows. Aang giggles, his voice bright and clear like a sunny day. Zuko couldn’t help but smile. This is the happiest he’s seen his husband afterall.

Once outside and awkwardly framed by the buildings surrounding them, Aang leaps onto Appa’s head and gives his friend a long awaited hug. His arms and legs spread out to cover maximum bison. He rubs Appa’s coarse fur and tells his friend he’s sorry for being away. 

After the two’s reunion, Zuko is surprised to see Aang smiling down at him with an extended hand. 

“Come on your highness - let’s go for a spin!” The Avatar is more energized than Zuko has ever seen him.

“Oh - I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” Zuko tries to cover for his pounding heart, which leaps eagerly at the invitation. Meanwhile his mind is already half way down a list of very good reasons to shut this whole thing down right then.

Aang jumps off of Appa and lands a foot in front of him, light as a feather. “Come on Zuko! Appa and I aren’t trying to kidnap you.”

Zuko knows Aang is teasing, but this is in fact on the top of his mental list: ‘Reasons why this is a bad idea’.

“You promise?” Zuko says through a smile despite himself as he gazes into the airbender’s earnest eyes.

“I promise.” Aang smiles in return and takes him by the waist. The airbender lifts both of them onto Appa, assisted only with a magical gust.

“Yip yip!” Zuko hears Aang call out before the giant furred beast pushes upwards into the air. He watches the stunned workmen shrink with distance. He’ll surely pay for this decision later. But his thoughts of consequences are quickly forgotten when Aang looks back at him, eyes shining with joy.

—

They land in a small lake on the outskirts of the capital. It’s the royal forest. Zuko recognizes it from his hunting trips, which his father ordered his participation. This is ideal, Zuko thinks. It’s unlikely they would be discovered as the forest if off limits to most.

Before he could ask the airbender why they are not on dry land, Aang is already pulling off his robes. 

“Appa needs a bath - and it’s a great day for a swim!”

“We’ll get wet.” Zuko protests.

“That’s the point, your Fireyness!” Aang beams at him. “Don’t worry! I can dry us off after.”

“But -“

Zuko doesn’t get to finish his thought because Appa chooses then to flip his massive body, throwing the two of them into the lake. Zuko smashes into the water without any semblance of grace. For several terrifying moments he doesn’t know which way is up. Air escapes him and he is gulping down water like a drowning man. His heavy robes limit his movements and before long he’s pulled down by them. Just when he starts to really panic, a strong hand grabs his wrist and brings him to the surface.

“Sorry - I guess Appa is a little eager today.” Aang’s voice comes from behind him as Zuko gasps for air. The airbender has him in one arm while paddling with the other. For what it’s worth, he does sound apologetic.

They make it to shore eventually, leaving Appa to his fun in the water. True to his word Aang dries them off and hangs the extra layers they manage to peel off on branches, letting the sun do the rest. Adrenaline is leaving Zuko with alarming speed. In nothing but his undergarments, Zuko is starting to feel the chilling bite of spring air. The lake was cold, freezing in fact, and his bones remember even with his clothes dry.

Aang sees the prince breathe fire to warm his frozen fingers and feels guilty at the man’s sorry state. His hair messy and wet, clinging to his sunken cheeks. His skin is pale, making those golden eyes more striking than usual. And, oh - his lips are turning blue... the firebender is in bad shape.

Quickly Aang runs off into the woods to gather firewood and tinder without saying as much. Zuko doesn’t protest as he watches the Avatar disappear into the trees. Somehow he knows his husband would come back even without much supporting evidence. 

Aang does return - with an armful of firewood. He sets up the base of a campfire by Zuko then gestures for the firebender to light it. Zuko complies and welcomes the new source of warmth. He’s pleasantly surprised when Aang decides to take it an extra step further by wrapping himself around Zuko, a gesture echoing their wedding night.

“I’m sorry Appa threw you into the lake… He’s not usually so inpatient…” Aang apologizes again.

“I’m fine. No real harm done… I’m glad he is having a good time.” Zuko looks over his shoulder at the floating bison, content in the water. Aang brushes back some of his wet locks into place and tightens his grip on the prince.

“Thank you for today.” He mumbles quietly into Zuko’s shoulder as if hoping no one will hear.

Zuko hums in response, trying to play it cool but his heart has been hammering away since the moment Aang took him into his arms. His building desires charges within him straining to break free. And in a moment of weakness Zuko let it guide his body. He spins around and in one swift move has the unsuspecting airbender pinned beneath him.

Aang’s face is flushed with pink. His clear grey eyes looking up at him in shock. He descends slowly making his intention transparent. Zuko’s body vibrates with anticipation knowing any hint of rejection from Aang would break his spirit. But the Avatar does no such thing. Aang receives Zuko’s kiss openly, parting his soft lips to let the prince in. And so Zuko claims his lover eagerly, hands roaming, discovering Aang’s contours for the first time.

Soon they are both breathless and Zuko can feel Aang’s straining erection against his thigh. The thought of pleasuring his lover in ways he so often pictured Aang would do to him has Zuko excited. Eagerly, he lowers himself to the Avatar’s hard cock and runs his tongue along its length. He hears Aang take in a sharp breath and feels encouraged. He continues to work Aang’s shaft with his tongue several more times before taking his lover’s tip into his mouth, finally getting a good taste of the savory precum. Aang gives an audible groan. His hand tangled in Zuko’s hair, gesturing the prince to take more of him in. Zuko happily obeys, sucking on the warm cock and pushing further each time. Finally the firm tip strikes the back of his throat. Before Aang could use his mouth fully, Zuko’s gag reflex kicks in.

Zuko wants to push on, eager to please, but Aang gently nudges him away. “Hey, it’s okay… I want to try something else anyway.” 

The airbender shifts down to Zuko, capturing his mouth with his own before maneuvering on top of the prince. Zuko spreads his legs for Aang instinctively, guiding his inexperienced partner to his entrance. He moves in sync with Aang, welcoming him into his body. He hears Aang groan as the tight walls of his anus contract around him. Seeking more pleasure and friction the airbender starts to pick up his pace. His lover is new to this, but then again, so is he. By blind luck Aang strikes his prostate several times, drawing his name like a prayer from Zuko’s lips.

“Zuko..” Aang moans desperately. His own name has never sounded so pleasant. Zuko watches his lover’s features crumble with pleasure as he climaxes. Then, without warning, a flash of light radiates from the Avatar’s eyes and tattoo. The prince is shocked in disbelief but before he can question his partner the young man has collapsed onto him, unconscious. 

“Aang?” Zuko prods, worried. The only response he receives are faint snores.

“That must have taken a lot out of you.” Zuko says to his sleeping groom. He chuckles to himself and rearranges their bodies into a more comfortable position. Zuko kisses Aang’s shoulder blade and draws him in by the middle the way he always imagined doing when he watched his airbender pretending to sleep every morning.

He must have dozed off too because he wakes to Aang’s voice. The light has changed, golden rays colour the sky. It's no longer midday.

“Hmmm…? What was that?” Zuko struggles against the tendrils of sleep threatening to pull him back down.

“Oh nothing!” The airbender grins, his face mere inches away from Zuko’s. “Just telling you a bedtime story the monks used to tell me.”

“Aren’t you supposed to use those to lull kids to sleep? Not to wake them up?” 

“Well it worked didn’t it?”

“Yeah - I guess.” Zuko smiles and looks into Aang’s eyes. They are still the eyes of a stranger, but perhaps less so than yesterday. And he doesn’t want to look away.

“Okay time to get up! We should head back before they send out a search party for you, your highness!” Aang teases but softens the edge by a chaste kiss on Zuko’s cheek. Zuko is taken aback. He wasn’t sure how things are going to proceed after their little field trip. He hopes their closeness can be sustained - this is certainly a welcoming sign.

Once fully dressed and making sure the fire has burned itself out Aang calls Appa to them. The bison is in a much better mood having bathed, flew and grazed the treetops all afternoon. Aang leaps to its broad head with no difficulty while Zuko climbs up one of it’s massive legs. The bison grunts and lowers itself to make it easier for the prince.

“Appa likes you.” Aang translates. Before long they are in the air.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: brief description of assault in this chapter

The next morning Zuko wakes not to Aang sneaking out of bed, but rather large grey eyes watching him.

“Good morning!” The airbender says cheerfully, cheeks pink with a blush. “I wanted to see when you would wake up! You are up now… so I guess I should get going!”

“Wait.” Zuko acts on instinct and pulls his husband back, keeping him from escaping out the doors so soon. He is relieved when Aang’s body relaxes against his own, letting himself to be held.

“I hope this is okay…” Zuko adds quietly.

There is a pause followed by a quiet, almost shy response, “Yeah… it’s… nice.”

Zuko savors those words for a moment and then decides to push his luck, “I have wanted this for a long time.”

“What?”

“To hold you in the mornings... I always wondered if you got cold spending all that time out there…”

Aang turns to him, features soft. “Airbenders can use air - our breaths - to regulate our body temperature…So the cold doesn’t bother me much... but sometimes my nose and ears still go numb… I guess what I’m saying is, I wouldn’t mind this from time to time.”

The faint blush has intensified on the airbender’s cheeks. Zuko enjoys seeing his husband blush. Besides being utterly charming and adorable, it also gives him hope.

“Could you teach me?”

“What - airbending?”

“Well… I guess in a way. Uncle always said there are many things we can learn from the other elements. He taught me a move adapted from watching the waterbenders. And since firebending comes from the breath, maybe I can find some parallels with airbending.”

The talk of bending techniques has made Aang go a bit rigid, his face turning from confused to serious. Sensing the other’s discomfort Zuko adds, “I can teach you some firebending too. As a fair exchange.”

This turns out to not put Aang at ease.

“Isn’t that against what the Fire Nation is all about? Isn’t fire superiority the point of the war? And aren’t I here as a prisoner so I can’t become a full fledged Avatar?” 

His brows are furrowed and his voice becomes more strained with each question. A repressed anger has awoken in Aang. Zuko curses his uncanny ability to turn a good situation bad. But soon his regret is swallowed up by embers of righteous anger.

“No - how can you say that?” Zuko pushes back at the accusations. “We are trying to unite the world! We are bringing prosperity and technological advancements to backwater towns. I’m no fan of the war either - but once it’s over we will bring balance to the world. And you will help us do that as the Avatar. Now that you don’t have to fight any more battles, we can help you train and become the Avatar you are meant to be.”

“How dare you - those backwater towns are my home! Sacred temples that your people have burned indiscriminately…” Aang detaches himself from Zuko’s grasp. His voice turning low and dangerously cold. “You are not uniting the world. You are burning it to the ground and remaking it in your image. But you are right about one thing. I will restore balance to the world… as the Avatar but not as your pawn.”

Aang leaves their bed and exits into the garden. The screen door shuts with a strong wind slamming it into place. Zuko is left holding his rage like a burning fire. He has learned over the years the necessity of controlling his emotions. But he’s never been very good at it. So the prince punches a fist against the bed and screams into his pillow instead. 

They proceed to perform the rest of their morning routine much like every other day - ignoring each other’s presence. Except today there is an added layer of tension. Zuko feels uneasy when he leaves Aang to the silence of their quarters. But the chasm between them is too large to mend before his first meeting so Zuko resigns to broach the subject another time. Hopefully by then Aang would be a little less angry with him.

——

It is unusual for Zuko to take dinner with his father, especially without the company of others. Ozai usually only wants Zuko around to complete the royal family set. Even then, Zuko’s opinions and thoughts are not actively sought out.

But after this morning hostilities and consequentially, the looming tension waiting for resolution back home, Zuko finds dinner with his father slightly more agreeable. Not that he has the choice to turn his father down.

“Azula has sent word of her mission. She has brought honor to our nation. After all these years, Ba Sing Se is finally ours.” Ozai informs Zuko over their meal. His voice is that of a politician’s, scripted and rigid. 

There is no hint of fatherly pride from Ozai. With all her accomplishments and brilliance, Azula has earned the closest thing Ozai can offer to love - but even that is far from the real thing. Zuko knows the difference because of their mother’s loving hand in his upbringing. While Zuko accepted all the love their mother could give, his sister always pushed to find its limit. But none of that matters anymore. Ursa has been gone for a long time now. 

Zuko is not particularly shocked by the news of Azula’s victory. He was in all the planning sessions for the mission. The drill their engineers designed was nothing the world has ever seen before. Without divine intervention it is hard to imagine how the shut-in kingdom’s walls could defend against such a marvel. Their victory was inevitable.

The thing Zuko is surprised about, however, is his father choosing to share this good news with him over a hot meal. For a moment it made Zuko feel special. The exclusivity of this invitation is a form of trust. This is how Ozai would have treated Azula - a form of acknowledgement and respect rarely offered to Zuko.

“That is wonderful news father. Will Azula be returning home soon?”

“Yes, she is flying home as we speak. We will have a public celebration for her in a few days' time.” Ozai smirks before adding, “It will be a grand affair. I’m sure the Avatar would want to be there as well.”

At the mention of Aang the prince could sense an uneasy shift in his father’s tone. Ozai’s true intentions of bringing him here suddenly look a lot less magnanimous.

“Of course. As he should.” Zuko says betraying nothing of the sudden nervousness he feels.

“Ah, but those sent to the Frigid Court are not usually permitted to venture out at will.” His father’s tone has turned wicked. “But, I think for the Avatar we can make an exception. He should witness this victory. It is another step towards peace after all.”

Zuko doesn’t know how long he stays silent. He now sees the trap that has been laid for him this entire time. But it’s too late to escape, he will be snared no matter the direction he chooses.

“Why would Aang be staying at the Frigid Court, father?” Zuko stares at his food, too afraid to look into his father’s eyes.

He flinches when Ozai slams a fist on the table. His sly wickedness from earlier transforming into rage in a flash.

“Why?” Ozai repeats, seething. “Because he needs to be taught respect! It is an embarrassment I had to step in and do what you are too soft to do!”

“He’s done nothing to warrant such severe -“ Zuko knows he is digging himself deeper by defending Aang. And he is shown to be correct when Ozai cuts him off.

“He dares to abduct the crown prince and flaunt that awful beast for all to see yet you tell me he doesn’t deserve punishment? He has embarrassed you and by extension the royal family and the Fire Nation. An unkind eye would see what he did as treason.” Ozai says, regaining a cool demeanor over his contempt.

Zuko is silent for another few moments, his food forgotten. He fears for the worst as his mind runs through all of the court’s awful legacies. He knows it is useless to reason with his father. It doesn’t matter that Zuko was a willing participant in their field trip. It doesn’t matter that no harm came to either of them. All that matters to Ozai is the projection of strength. And Aang taking him on an unplanned trip while flying on Appa makes it look like he holds power over Zuko. This is the Avatar’s sin.

“What sentence do you see fit the crime, father?” He braves his father’s anger and asks what he desperately wants to know.

Seeing Zuko squirm somewhat placates Ozai. This dinner is Zuko’s portion of the punishment and the prince’s clear discomfort is validation of its effectiveness. So, in a more generous tone, the Fire Lord continues.

“Do not worry prince Zuko. You will still have a husband by the end of all of this. It is only to send a message of house rules to our guest. A month in the Frigid Court should be sufficient to put the Avatar on the right path.”

—

Zuko rushes home to find his chambers empty. Any evidence of the airbender’s life in their shared space has been purged. Aang is indeed gone. 

The emptiness of the rooms is hollowing out Zuko’s heart. He tries not to recall the angry words from the morning, but they sneak past his defenses and jabs at his mind. He undresses himself for bed like he’s always done but the room feels a lot colder without Aang. They only started to converse casually yesterday and yet, that becoming anything resembling normalcy has already become a failed dream. Good things tend not to last in his life - his father always told him he’s not born lucky... just lucky to be born. 

Over a hundred years ago, Fire Lord Uzen ordered the construction of a beautiful court as a gift to his beloved courtesan, Aiko. She was of noble birth and beautiful beyond words, as courtesans usually are. When Uzen grew tired of his aging queen his favor swayed heavily towards Aiko, often staying the night in her bed. But her love affair with Uzen’s first born, a general at the time, was eventually discovered. 

The home that was gifted to her became Aiko’s prison for the years to come. She was not allowed to step a foot outside or to receive visitors. All luxuries befitting a lady was stripped from her rooms. The elegant high ceilings designed for grandeur kept the rooms freezing during winter. Eventually earning the court its name. 

One winter, Uzen’s son was lost in battle. A few days after the news reached her, servants found Aiko’s body hanging by a beam in her room. Her fingertips were black with frostbite. 

Much of the real woman has been erased by time. Those with charitable readings of this story believe she waited out of love - but most believe it’s a last ditch gambit for power.

Since Aiko’s time many have been to the Frigid Court but not all have walked away to tell their story. It is a place to send those with crimes of a more personal nature. The guilty are prone to accidents in those halls. Those who are less guilty will suffer the indignity of eating peasant food for a few weeks before being set free with their reputation in ruins. 

This is only a temporary punishment, Zuko reminds himself, no real harm will come to Aang. The court’s history won’t be repeating itself this time. Aang will be back in a month, after the scandal is forgotten. He will see the airbender in due time… Yet none of these thoughts can quell his worry. Zuko lies awake until the moon is high and the palace grounds silent with slumber. 

For the second time that night he thinks of his lost mother. The years have stripped him of many memories of her. What is left are mostly vignettes of inconsequential things - afternoons at the turtleduck pond, long bedtime stories when he was sick… but attached to each memory are potent emotions… the feelings of safety, happiness, and what it is like to be truly loved. 

From time to time Zuko would yearn for the return of that happy time. And despite himself, having Aang in his life has made Zuko's yearning grow stronger with hope. The pain he is feeling now should be a good reminder that these are frivolous wants of a child. His life has only been made more complicated by them. Zuko buried those wants when they buried his mother. It will do him good to keep them unearthed.

—

The thin membrane of tolerance has been pierced by Aang’s drop in station. Emboldened by a higher power, the men who are sent to handle him are rough and cruel. They refuse to answer any of his questions while pursuing him with ropes in hand. Aang evades them out of instinct. He slips from their grasps time and time again... infuriating the men. 

“If you don’t come with us, the prince will surely pay a price. You have caused him enough trouble already, peasant.” One of them finally gives up the chase and threatens instead. 

At that Aang stops in his tracks and allows himself to be taken. He is promptly bound and paraded through the maze-like walls of the palace. The coarse rope snaking around him sends a concise message to all who sees him. Predictably, the passing nobles and court ladies would pause to stare and gossip in hushed tones. Aang feels the shame intended for him as they march to his new home. Even he, an Air Nomad, knows there are ways to travel through the palace more discreetly than this. He is meant to be seen with hands tied behind his back like a prisoner of war.

The guards escort him all the way to his new sleeping quarters. Before Aang could take in the high ceilings and decorative wallpapers, he is seized by two of the guards. Their leader turns to the airbender and throws a fist into his gut, leaving him crumpled and breathless.

“Troublesome little tart.” Says the guard. “Come on, let’s put him over here.”

They take him to the back of the room past the large bed to where painted columns stretch tall to reach the layered ceiling. 

“This should do it.” The same guard says, inspecting the sturdy wood with one hand and retrieving chains tied to his belt with the other. Once unraveled, Aang recognizes them for what they really are. He looks in horror at the dog collar in the man’s hand.

“What are you doing?” Aang asks but he already knows the answer. 

“The prince doesn’t want you flying off again, so he suggested we… tie you down to earth, airbender.” The guard explains as he fastens the thick collar around Aang’s neck, making it tight enough to restrict his airway.

At the mention of Zuko, Aang’s stomach drops and his heart aches. He is brought to his knees by another guard as the man ties his leash near the base of the column, all the while continuing to exposit.

“Oh, my apologies. Did I forget to mention we are here by Prince Zuko’s orders? You embarrassed him terribly you see. So he has sent you here to repent for the next month... But we will pass on your good behavior at the mention of his name today. Maybe he will be generous enough to let you out early.”

The revelation sends shockwaves through Aang. He knew Zuko was angry with him this morning, but he could not imagine this level of cruelty from his husband. Before he can fully process the betrayal, a rough hand grabs him by the hair. The nameless guard grates his stubby jaw against Aang in a forceful kiss. Their teeth and tongues are clashing when he feels the guard’s other hand grabbing him by his balls. A gurgled cry of protest dies in his throat as the man’s large hand rubs and fondles him. His mind goes blank at the shock, and before he can resist the assault is over. A feeling of slimy disgust and shame is left on top of him like a second skin, slowly being absorbed by his body and spirit.

“The prince sends his regards.” The guard says once finished with him. “Tie his legs up won’t you - don’t want the tart spreading them for any ghosts that may want to visit.”

They leave him on the floor with bound limbs and leashed to the column. Aang doesn't let his angry tears flow until he is utterly alone. 

The hours pass with agonizing slowness, his only reason to move is new body parts going numb. He wonders if Zuko means for him to die this way. It's hard to accept he was so thoroughly fooled by the prince. What he read as stiff sincerity is really poorly executed manipulation. It was convincing enough though... What a fucking sociopath. Aang supposes he should plan an escape. He's gotten away from tighter binds before. But what then? Find Appa and fly home? It will surely nullify the peace treaty if he runs away… and it will be his people who suffer the consequences.

Aang is lying on his side and stares at the papered windows. It’s late into the night now and they are lit up like muted lanterns by blue moonlight, casting long shadows into the room. He watches its mesmerizing stillness when a new shadow passes over the windows, Aang's heart gives a nervous jolt. He sits up, the chain of his leash jingles behind him. His eyes focus as he tries to identify any oncoming danger. What the guard said about ghosts coming back to him like a threat.

For several minutes the room is still and silent. His hyper vigilant senses pick up a creek coming from the ceiling beams. There was a pause before a black figure drops from the darkness above. It lands in the room like a well practiced acrobat. The shadow unfurls itself to the shape of a man but it's face is that of a demon. Aang panics when it turns its gaze towards him and charges. Out of instinct he bends a jet of air by kicking his bound feet towards the monster. It hits the target and the shadow is knocked off its feet. A clanging can be heard as Aang realizes the man was wearing a mask, which now lies on the ground a few feet away from him.

He hears the man groan as he sits up. When his face is revealed by moonlight Aang's fear boils into anger.

"Come to finish the job have you? My dear?" 

\---

Even when spoken out in such malice Zuko's traitorous heart can't help but leap at the words 'my dear' when it comes from Aang. It will also serve him well to remember his husband is an airbending master who is dangerously skilled… even when tied up.

"No, I'm here to bring you these egg tarts." He replies, trying to inject some levity into the atmosphere. He reaches for the pouch of treats he swiped from the kitchen earlier. He hopes they escaped intact from his fall but is quickly disappointed. 

“What?” Aang hisses incredulously and clearly still furious.

Zuko makes his way to Aang again - this time with less sudden movements. He tries to explain, “I came to check up on you. When father told me… I was worried they -“

“Your father is behind all of this?” Aang doesn’t sound very receptive to this fact.

“Yes, he informed me over dinner.” Zuko replies quietly, now knelt by his husband’s side untying the knots securing his limbs. He undos the collar last. The tender warm skin of Aang’s neck burns his fingers. Zuko feels the weight of the other’s gaze as he unbuckles the damn thing, having to pull it tighter to release it. All the while guilt is stabbing at him with increasing intensity.

“I’m sorry.” He whispers, finally looking into Aang’s eyes - ready for judgement. He is ready for hate, maybe even sadness, but Aang just looks confused, if a bit infuriated.

“Are you… fucking with me?”

Zuko was not prepared for the expletive. “What? No! Of course not!”

“Because the helpful gentlemen who chained me up in this gaudy prison told me you sent me here for taking you on a fucking field trip.” 

The second ‘fuck’ hit Zuko just as unprepared as the first one. The good natured monk is nowhere to be found in his husband.

“It must be some mind trick my father is playing. I knew flying off with you would cause some… controversy… but I had no idea father would… hurt you.”

“Really? Because he’s kind of a genocidal tyrant. I hesitate to think what he would have done if we were gone any longer. You’d probably be finding my corpse right about now.” Aang’s sarcasm hits a bit too close to home. Zuko doesn’t try to defend his father. It feels unnatural to let such harsh criticism of the Fire Lord rest unchallenged. But in his gut Zuko knows his silence is what’s needed right now.

“...But you said something about egg tarts?”

The airbender’s tone has lost its edge with that question, inviting Zuko’s gaze back to him. He looks less angry too - his face smoothed into a tired exasperation. For the first time Zuko sees the red tendrils in Aang’s eyes and the dried tear tracks on his face. His guilt stirs at the sight, gnawing at him with renewed fervor. He retrieves the pouch containing crushed egg tarts.

“Yes, but I don’t think they made it…” He hands it to Aang.

“Tastes the same.” The airbender replies nonchalantly, now sitting cross legged on the floor undoing the pouch.

Zuko sits across from him and watches Aang scrape the gelatinous filling from the bag with his fingers and into his mouth, crumbs accumulating by its corners with each scoop. The egg tart paste seems to lighten his husband’s mood even more, making Zuko’s spur of the moment decision to swing by the kitchen seem like a stroke of genius. 

When he’s done, Aang wipes his hand on his leg and throws the empty pouch back at Zuko playfully. The prince catches it with a snappy accuracy and stores it away. Sensing the end of their exchange, he mumbles a hasty goodbye before getting up to leave.

“Wait, where are you going?” Aang apparently believes otherwise, standing to follow.

Zuko turns around to answer only to see the airbender’s leg give out under him. His instincts take control and he is by Aang in a heartbeat, catching his husband in his arms. 

“Ow… my leg… ahh…it’s cramping up...” Aang whines, clutching his right calf, unconsciously burrowing his head into Zuko’s chest.

“You are probably dehydrated.” He says before picking Aang up to carry him to the unused bed. Aang doesn’t protest but lets out a pained groan as a sort of response. The only other time he’s done this was on their wedding night. His father’s influence lingers in both moments of intimacy. 

Zuko lays Aang on the bed and wordlessly proceeds to help the airbender message the tense muscles. It only took a few more moments for the muscles to release. Zuko hears a sigh of relief as the airbender’s whole body relaxes when the pain leaves him. Zuko quickly removes his hands from the other and busies himself by finding a jug of water by the side table. He pours a glass for Aang.

“Here, drink this.” Aang takes it from him and downs the entire glass in a few gulps.

“Thanks.”

Zuko returns the glass to its place, unsure what to do next. He should probably leave now, he thinks. Yet his body remains by the bedside, looming awkwardly.

“I should go.” He verbalizes his intention to see if the airbender agrees.

“Wait… Stay, for a bit.”

His heartbeat picks up at the request. “Okay.”

Aang shuffles over to let Zuko in bed with him. The prince lies down, facing his husband with an arm bent under his head. They lock eyes with each other for a few quiet moments before Aang speaks again.

“Why egg tarts?” The question catches Zuko off guard but makes him chuckle.

“Because they are your favorite?”

“How did you know?” The airbender gasps, playing up his genuine surprise.

“Was it supposed to be a secret?” Zuko teases in return.

“I always left one on the plate - untouched!”

“Yeah but you always looked at it with regret.”

“So you’ve been watching me...” Aang remarks, breaking Zuko’s flow of comebacks. 

Zuko feels his cheeks burn as words fail to come to him. He shifts his gaze downward like a guilty child while embarrassment washes over him, feeling caught. He hears Aang breathe out a smile when a hand cups his face. Aang’s touch feels cool against his flushed cheeks. Zuko blinks, stunned. Aang is looking at him with an expression that seems to tell him every reassurance he’s ever wanted to hear. There’s a soft smile gracing his pretty face. Zuko never wants to look away. 

They are comfortable in their wordless regard for each other, the only movement coming from Aang’s soft carcasses of his face. Safe in the comfort of Aang’s touch, Zuko asks the question that has been eating away at his core.

“Did you really believe I was the one who ordered… this?” He avoids describing the cruelty he saw done onto the airbender.

Aang stills and withdraws his hand. Zuko misses his touch immediately but doesn’t protest. The airbender considers his answer for a few moments before speaking.

“The monks always said my naive optimism would lose us the war.” The airbender starts quietly. “It’s easy to become jaded in war, to start believing the worst in people. I thought I was being strong by trusting there is light in every soul… On our wedding night. When you asked for my forgiveness… I saw it in you as well. All these weeks, I have been watching you too… I saw how you twist and bend yourself to fit inside Ozai’s world. How it made you unhappy. I wanted to believe what I saw was a sign of something deeper … I wanted to believe in your goodness…”

The airbender continues after a pause. “When they told me you ordered my punishment… It was like the floor gave away beneath my feet… I thought the monks were right! I am the fool they always said I was… I...” Aang stops there, fresh tears have gathered in his eyes, threatening to spill.

Zuko catches the first tear in its tracks and wipes it away. He doesn’t know what to say to his husband’s confessions and the implications behind them. After all his years fighting in the war, it’s Zuko’s betrayal that brought Aang’s beliefs into a state of crisis. He has never allowed himself to think the Avatar will ever see him as anything other than an enemy, which makes this revelation simultaneously joyous and painful. 

He gathers Aang in his arms hoping the gesture can offer some reassurance. It does, Aang fits himself into the embrace and wraps an arm around Zuko in return. Before long, the airbender’s breaths even out in slumber. Zuko lets himself stay a few more minutes before extracting his body from the sleeping Avatar’s. He needs to make his leave now. Soon the servants will start their day and his chance of being seen increases even under the cover of relative darkness. Zuko retrieves the Blue Spirit mask from the floor and inspects it for damage. It is his favorite out of his mother’s collection. 

Before he dons the mask, Zuko could not help but kiss the sleeping man he is leaving behind.

“I could never hurt you, Aang...” Zuko confesses to the spirits. “Because I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thing about Aang’s character that is so amazing, and maybe goes unappreciated in the context of a ‘cartoon’ is how GOOD he is. It really is easier to be cynical and callous these days. And it’s easy for the cynics to call optimism and hope foolish. I hope I captured this aspect of Aang in my chapter.
> 
> As for Zuko. I’m trying to balance his struggle against his indoctrination with his feelings for Aang. People don’t just go from ‘Fire Nation First’ to ‘oh i think we are the bad guys’ in a few days. Like, we all want our idiot boys to be in love but let’s not forget Zuko’s still the ‘baddie’ here... not sure if you noticed, but he doesn’t have his scar... yet. Dun dun dun... 
> 
> When I originally came up with this head canon I had several of these scenes in my head... and oh boy.. it’s taking a lot longer to write them out and make it feel connected without being rushed. I appreciate the comments you guys are leaving - they really encourage me to write more! Please leave a koodo or comment if you want to read more! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: depiction of oral sex

Azula lands in the capital during those hushed hours when night turns into morning. Her nation’s damp cool air tastes thick and sweet in her throat after a month-long campaign in the dusty dry dirt of Ba Sing Se. There is no fan fair waiting for her at the airfield, the only witness to her arrival is the full moon above. She pauses to bask in its cool glow as she looks onto the sleeping city, pride and satisfaction fills her belly. They do not know their princess has arrived home victorious. But when her subjects wake they will learn of her victory and sing her praises. That is what the weak is best suited for, in the world built by the strong.

Several hours later Azula is standing before her father at her debrief. As she recounts her accomplishments she feels the building respect, and more importantly, nervousness amongst her peers - mostly grey generals with the exception of her brother. All except Zuko nods along, impressed. His blank expression presses her buttons even without him knowing, Azula makes a mental note, annoyed.

Her manipulation of the Dai Li is the jewel of the campaign. Ba Sing Se is a large city, so much so to call it a city is a disservice to Azula’s accomplishment. While her troops were numerous and well trained, to take the city by brute force would have taken months, most likely leaving it in ruins. After discovering the Earth King’s elite police are corrupt, power-hungry and therefore prone to manipulation, it was not long before she turned them in her favor. Now under house arrest, the weak Earth King Kuei has become a puppet of the Fire Nation - much like his role under the Dai Li’s influence. Truly, the Earth Kingdom is better off now that someone with a bit more ambition is charting its course.

For years, their father has only trusted Zuko to take Earth Kingdom towns and villages of little consequence. What does he have to show for it? A front line that is so boring, there are barely enough reports to fill his slot in the war meetings. Now, in stark contrast Azula has managed to deal the final blow to an entire kingdom. And it only took her a month. History will forget her brother. She knows glory is to be her destiny, not his.

After the congratulatory debrief Azula found herself wandering towards the Avatar’s quarters. Her brother’s presence at the meeting annoyed her so she wants to retaliate by playing with his toys without asking. It always worked to rile Zuko up as a child, and he hasn’t aged out of the bad habit. Above all Azula is just glad he has a shiny new plaything that she can break.

This is how she found herself standing unannounced at the Avatar’s door, silently observing him from behind. This is the first time she’s seen the man. While her presence was officially counted at the wedding ceremony, She was in fact already en route to Ba Sing Se. It was her who suggested launching their campaign as a surprise attack. While the world was held captive by the loss of their symbol of hope to this political marriage, she worked to take the rest off the board. 

Azula knows her presence has been detected when the airbender’s back stiffens at the sound of her paused steps. She leans against the doorway’s meticulously carved frame, waiting for his greeting.

“I thought you were busy today…” The Avatar trails off when he finally sees her, clearly not the person he is expecting.

She doesn’t respond, watching his reaction carefully like a hawk studying its prey. She sees the momentary confusion turn into uncertain recognition.

“Princess Azula, it’s good to finally meet you.”

“I suppose the family resemblance gives it away.”

“And there are portraits of you around the palace your highness.” 

Indeed there are, but hung in places he is unlikely to have travelled. The man has some wit about him then. This is a passable lie.

“Come spar with me Avatar - it’s a lovely day outside.” It really isn’t, but that hardly matters. 

“I don’t think that is a good idea - I’ve learned my actions have long reaching consequences.” He gestures to his new abode. “I wouldn’t want to start an international incident.”

“I won’t tell if you don't. Come on - I know you want to see what you are really up against. Besides father, I’m the best you’ll face in this place.”

—-

Since his first visit as the Blue Spirit, Zuko has made an effort to go see Aang at least once a day. Sometimes he would sneak back under the cover of night to keep the airbender company until the early hours of morning. Aang had joked this is not unlike their old routine, except it’s Zuko doing the sneaking around this time.

The prevailing gossip at the palace is that Zuko sent the Avatar to the Frigid Court for disobeying him. There are even more unseemly rumors of what he does to the Avatar during his visits. All of it makes Zuko sick but he does not contest or engage in their malice. Much of palace life is about perception and image. While his sister thrives in this game, Zuko has no talent for it - often making a bad situation worse. Through his teenage years he’s learned that it’s best to let Azula take center stage while he extricates himself from court gossip.

There is a bounce in Zuko’s step as he makes his way to Aang. He is ahead of schedule today, making it possible to visit the airbender afterall. He even swings by the kitchen to tuck a few warm veggie buns and egg tarts in his sleeve before hurrying to his destination.

When he approaches the courtyard gate he immediately catches the tell tale flash of Azula’s signature blue flame. A sudden surge of adrenaline washes over him… what is his sister up to?

Once closer his airbender comes into view, flipping and dodging Azula’s non-lethal attacks with grace and agility. Are they… sparing? Zuko is confused by the sight. The two look to be evenly matched until - noticing Zuko’s presence - Azula decides to heighten the stakes a bit. She straightens herself for a moment and starts to circle her arms around her body, as if drawing with her finger tips. 

Zuko recognizes the move for what it is and charges forward to defend the unsuspecting Avatar. He is too late - a bolt of lightning shoots out of Azula with a loud crack. Aang barely reacts in time to dodge its blow but is thrown off balance. With her other hand ready to attack Zuko watches his sister fire another lethal shot. But this time he is in place to grab her fingers with one hand and redirect the intense energy out of his own with the other. The bright light charges into the sky followed by a thunderclap.

“Oh Zuzu, you show too much of yourself.” Azula whispers to him before Zuko throws her hand out of his, anger threatening to bubble over.

“I was never going to hurt your precious Avatar.” She continues, speaking louder to let Aang hear. 

“I simply wanted to see how many elements he has mastered. The field reports were… inconsistent. Honestly brother, you’ve been sleeping with him for a month and you can’t even extract this bit of intel for father. You must do better - it’s air and a bit of water by the way. The latter obviously kept as a card up his sleeve.”

“That’s enough. Is there anything else we can help you with or can you be on your way?”

“Don’t you want to know how I figured it out?”

“By watching his stances and proximity to the fountain.”

“Ahhh, so it isn’t just cotton balls up there.” She smirks and taps Zuko’s temple playfully. “Okay, I’ll take my leave now, since I’m clearly no longer welcomed.”

As it is often with Azula, she deals her final blow when your guard is relaxed. So it really shouldn’t have surprised Zuko when she pauses at the gate and adds, “Oh - I almost forgot. Dear Avatar, you are hereby cordially invited to the victory celebration tomorrow. For Ba Sing Se has been successfully taken by yours truly.”

—-

Aang stares at the food Zuko has placed in front of him. His appetite does not stir at the sight and smell of the buns.

“Were you going to tell me?”

“Yes. I planned to tell you tonight...”

“How long have you known?”

“A few days… since you’ve been here - it never felt like the right moment.” The truth is their time together has been some of his happiest since Ursa passed. 

There is a new found comfort between them. He loves holding Aang at night as the man drifts off while retelling Air Nomad legends. So Zuko is cowardly in broaching this subject, knowing it will reignite the tense opposition of beliefs between them.

“There is never a good time for bad news… but I suppose in your case, it’s… good news.” A hint of bitterness seeps through his husband’s gentle tone.

“Aang…” Zuko knew it would come, but it still hurt.

“Ba Sing Se is the last Earth Kingdom stronghold… the Earth Kingdom is lost and I’ve done nothing to stop it... Many of my friends are there as refugees… What if -”

“Azula didn’t take the city by force… there were minimal casualties.” Zuko quickly adds seeing the silver lining. 

Aang is not entirely appeased by the information but looks relieved. Zuko wishes he can comfort the airbender more but there is little he can do about Ba Sing Se. In a gesture that many would consider beneath him, Zuko gets on one knee next to where Aang sits and loops his arms around the airbender. Aang lets him and responds in kind. Zuko’s heart gives a jolt when Aang runs a hand through his hair and leaves it on his cheek. He looks up at the grey eyes waiting for him.

“I’m fine.” Aang lies.

“We can make this better… together. We can go on diplomatic missions to the Earth Kingdom - make sure there is a smooth transition - “ 

There’s a pained look from Aang before he interjects. “Zuko… the only way to make this better is for the Fire Nation to withdraw its troops from the Earth Kingdom and Air Temples… We have to end the war… I know you think what your nation is doing is for a greater good... It’s the only truth you have ever known... But you have to see the suffering of the people who’s cities and towns you invade. I’ve lost so much in the war, people I love… sometimes it feels like my entire culture is being erased by violence and destruction. You have to see that’s wrong, Zuko. If no one’s told you before, I’m telling you now… please… you have to see...”

“I’m sorry…” Zuko is not sure what exactly the apology is for. The knot in his chest refuses to untangle as Aang’s words tugs at it. He has seen the numbers from briefings held in his father’s sterile war room. But the Avatar has seen them as lives lived and lost - lives he could not protect.

Eventually Aang does eat the food Zuko brought - hungry from the slim servings of the Frigid Court’s menu no doubt. Before Zuko departs for the rest of his day Aang asks if he would visit that night.

“If you’ll have me.” Zuko responds, hopeful.

His husband gives him a playful smile accompanied with a peck on the cheek. “Yes, Zuzu. Please come tonight.”

—-

Aang stirs from a shallow sleep when he hears Zuko arrive. Keeping his eyes shut and back turned he listens to the prince quietly undress for bed. His heart quickens while waiting for the solid arms to find their way around him. When they do he lets out a content sigh and melts his body against Zuko’s now familiar form. It should feel wrong to enjoy this man's affection, but Aang is tired and doesn’t think too deeply about it. 

Zuko greets him with a tender kiss that makes him hum with pleasure.

“You smell nice…” Aang’s sleep laced brain confesses. He hears a chuckle in response.

When he wakes again, Zuko is gone.

—-

Hours before the evening’s celebration an unusual number of palace servants parades into the Frigid Court with gifts in tow. They lay out silk robes, shoes and jewels for him, fill the bath, and leave him grooming devices that are so foreign to Aang he thought they resembled tools of torture.

The bath is probably the most exciting of the bunch. He has been making due with the small wash basin they filled daily, so the luxury of a full bath is tantalizing. He is about to get into the chilled water when Zuko arrives.

“Aang, are you in here - Ah, I can come back later.” Zuko blushes at the sight of his naked husband and immediately turns to leave.

Fire Nation folks are so involved with their own modesty, trapping their bodies in layers upon layers of fine silks; it is a miracle they can move enough to firebend at all, Aang muses. His upbringing amongst the monks is very much antithetical to Zuko’s. 

“Wait, Zuko.” Aang grabs Zuko by the wrist but his husband still adverts his eyes.

“Why don’t you join me. I could use a firebender to heat up the bath.” Aang dares to bat his lashes at Zuko.

The temptation to do something useful is enough to get Zuko to comply. A pink blush is omnipresent while the prince sustains his gentle fire to heat the bath. Aang uses this time to undress Zuko’s hair. Loose strands falling by his handsome face once Aang unlatches the pin from its crown. He feels Zuko shiver when he runs his hands through it, combing it nonchalantly.

When the water is sufficiently hot Aang helps his prince undress. A nervous excitement grows in his belly with each layer removed. Finally, he sees his husband fully naked.

Zuko's body is as beautiful as Aang imagined. Years of rigorous training and discipline have sculpted his muscles for use. There is no gratuity or boastfulness about them. His shoulders are broad and waist lean, but often obscured under his usual set of robes. All of Zuko's smooth lines and curves lead Aang's eyes to his hanging cock, protruding from a tuft of black hair. For the first time in his life Aang wonders how it would taste and feel in his mouth.

A tension has slowly been building between them since Zuko made the decision to stay. Aang feels Zuko's eye on him. They should get in the bath - he thinks - before he does something unseemly. But in a moment of pure lust Aang finds himself on his knees, inches away from the firebender. He looks up at Zuko, for permission. The prince's shock is clear, but he manages a nod.

Aang proceeds as he remembers how the prince took him by the lake. First with his tongue then taking the rapidly hardening cock little by little into his mouth. He heard his own moans escape as he sucked, working his way farther towards the root. 

By now Zuko's hand is firmly grasping his hair while Aang has his hands on the prince's thigh and hip. He could feel Zuko's body thrusting, taking full advantage of his eager and slobbering mouth. Grunts of satisfaction come out of Zuko hushed as if he is trying to hold back - then a strangled whine springs forth and Aang feels the warm salty cum fill the back of his throat. On instinct he swallows.

Zuko drops to his knees sweaty and satisfied. They share a kiss before Aang quips, "Now I've given you a real reason for a bath."

Zuko laughs at that, and kisses him some more.

The water is pleasant when they get in. The firebender settles in Aang's arms coming off the high from earlier and extremely content.

“You could have just asked me, by the way.” Aang starts.

“About what?”

“My training… the elements I’ve mastered…”

Zuko considers for a moment before replying. “I… I didn’t want things to start in such a… transactional manner. I didn’t want you to feel used.”

He pauses then tentatively asks, “...was my sister right?"

"Yeah…" The airbender hums in response, lifting a hand above the bathwater. A blob extracts itself from the bath and wobbles in the air before falling back with a splash.

"Anyway. I wanted to thank you…” Aang wraps his arms around Zuko, changing the subject, “...for saving me from a lightning bolt to the chest." 

There is a lightness to Aang's voice. Zuko can hear him smiling.

"She knew I would intervene." He huffs, still miffed by Azula.

"Your sister is something else… I have never seen a firebender so agile on their feet. All my years fighting I have only heard of lightning benders… and what you did - redirecting it… that was extraordinary."

Aang's compliment fills Zuko with intense pride. He tries to not let it show.

"I learned that from Uncle… He invented the move by studying waterbenders actually."

Aang remembers Zuko’s previous comments about Iroh and his tendency to learn from other elements.

"Your uncle seems like a kind and open minded man. Are you close?"

"Yes, Iroh has been like a father to me. Growing up my own was always preoccupied with the war… Cold disregard was the best I could hope for."

"That explains a lot…" Aang says, shivering at the thought of Zuko turning out like his father.

“Uncle has shared many wisdoms with me over the years. He always encouraged me to lead more compassionately. To make my own choices… But to my father it only resembled weakness and disobedience... Azula has always been the more talented and cunning out of the two of us… I guess that’s why father gave me to you.”

"What do you mean?" Aang perks up at the insinuation.

"There is a history of Fire Lord succession being passed over the prince who fails to produce an heir… or is prevented from having one through a marriage like ours... After losing his son, my uncle was forced to abdicate. I think, in due time, father will expect me to do the same."

"What…?" Aang seems genuinely shocked by this news. He often feels a sense of betrayal and regret over being traded away by his people. He tries to push it away when it surfaces. This is his duty after all. But Aang never considered Zuko is equally used then discarded by his nation, by his family.

“Uncle says Ozai betrothed me to you because I’m of a gentler disposition - that we are a better match. But I think we both know father’s priorities are elsewhere.” Zuko smiles bitterly. “A part of me wants to fight it… like my honor depends on it. It’s shameful to be bypassed for the crown like this… but sometimes I get so tired of it… the crown, the war, the constant competition with Azula, and always seeking father’s approval. It may be for the best that Azula succeeds father. She loves all this stuff... She would make a better Fire Lord than -"

"No, you are wrong." Aang cuts his pity party short. "Azula is ruthless. I can tell from the way she fights. She may win the war but that's not what makes a great leader, Zuko. The compassion your uncle taught you will serve your people much better than the fist your father wants you to use."

Zuko lets out a long sigh. He always feared interrogating this truth. It’s not an easy one to live by and it is certainly not what he is taught. It implores him to right the wrongs being committed in the name of honor and progress, to go against his father. There will be no safe return from that path if he decides to choose it.

——

Azula watches her brother and the Avatar across the banquet table. Both are reserved throughout the evening’s festivities, showing little interest in the people around them. On occasion Zuko would lean over to Aang and explain a Fire Nation custom that has got the airbender confused. 

On either side of Azlua sits Ty Lee and Mai, the only people she has ever considered friends. She knew Mai would be uncomfortable seeing Zuko with Aang, but that didn’t stop Azula from demanding her presence. Honestly, this is an important day for her, and Azlua can’t be without her trusted entourage.

Now the Avatar has taken some peas from his plate and is spinning them in a small vortex of air between his palms. The pure joy and pride on his face over something so silly is making Zuko smile - a rare sight.

“Those two are getting along.” Ty Lee muses next to her. “His hair’s grown out... it’s honestly kinda cute…” 

Azula can hear Mai’s internal groan at the comment.

“Oh now I think they are totally holding hands under the table!” Ty Lee continues her commentary of the married couple sitting across from them.

There is a gentleness about her brother when he deals with the airbender, and she would not put it past him to pull such a juvenile display of affection - covert or not. So after a month together little Zuzu has gone and fallen in love. How predictable, Azula thinks. She will have to find out if the feeling is reciprocated. 

——

Aang stirs from his sleep when he feels the presence of another in the room. The hairs on the back of his neck stand in alertness - it’s not Zuko who is in the shadows. When he is awake enough to get his bearings, Aang springs up and sends a jet of air to where the figure stands.

There is indeed an intruder and they doge his attack with relative ease. A blue flame springs to life to reveal the Fire Princess’ sharp features.

“Be careful with the airbending, Avatar. You could have hurt poor Zuzu with that. He’s not as quick on his feet you see.” She says playfully, baiting the Avatar

“Princess Azula.” Aang acknowledges her cordially. “This is an odd hour for a visit. Is there something you need?” 

“Need? No… There is nothing you have that I need. But I do want to have a friendly chat.”

“Sneaking up on me like this is not the friendliest way to start.” Aang narrows his eyes at her but doesn't protest further.

"Has brother told you the legacy of this place?” She continues disregarding his comment.

Aang is quiet, so Azula continues. “Fire Lord Uzen, my great, great, grandpa, built this place for a woman he loved. She betrayed him of course. So this became her prison… She died in this very room - hung herself from the beams above.”

Azula looks up to the dark rafters then to Aang. “But there is no reason for history to repeat itself… if you stay loyally in love with Zuzu.”

“How did she betray him?” Aang asks. This is the first time Aang is hearing the story so he is genuinely curious. Avoiding Azula’s baiting words is just an added benefit.

“She had an affair.”

“Doesn’t sound like she loved him back then.”

“When the Fire Lord loves you, you don’t get a choice.”

“Is that your approach to life too?” Aang considers her words for a moment with sincere thoughtfulness. “It must be hard not knowing if people really love you or simply obeying out of fear.”

No one has dared to say this to Azula in her entire life. The audacity of the man-child in front of her is infuriating. 

“Fear is more reliable than love, Avatar.” An edge or annoyance shows in her tone.

“Is that why you only have two friends?” Aang asks without animosity but it does anything but quell Azula’s simmering temper. 

“What about you, Avatar? Making any friends in the capital since you joined us?” She asks, deflecting.

“Haven’t been out much.” Comes a sardonic reply.

“Oh but dear Zuko seems to be very taken with you. How have you fooled the idiot into loving you, Avatar?”

“What? He… I…. We are not….” Aang is flustered and at a loss for words.

Azula waits, letting the silence pressure Aang to say more.

“Zuko has been kind to me. I’ve only tried to return the favor.” His blushing face tells her all she needs to know.

“Can’t relate.” She quips.

Love always came easier to Zuko than Azula. His helplessness, weakness, is a beacon for it. But she is strong, she doesn’t need their love to protect her. She is more than capable of defending herself. In fact Azula finds the displays of affection between her brother and the Avatar downright hateful.

“Not even when you were a child?” The airbender says not knowing the peril ahead. “Your father is clearly a sociopath, but what about your mother?”

Azula huffs and does not defend her father. “Mother is long gone.”

“Oh… I’m sorry… What about Zuko? You two might not get along but I’m sure he loves you.”

Azula didn’t come here to be questioned. What does this monk know about her life? How dare he assert any knowledge over her relationships. She feels the anger from earlier flare up.

“Princess, fear is not - “

Within a heartbeat her hand is around his throat, pinning him to the bed. She is usually more composed than this. But it’s the middle of the night and he is trapped in here with her. The rage that has been living in her since childhood focuses itself on the airbender. 

His wide eyes are staring back up at her, afraid. Good. She digs her nails into his soft flesh and watches him grimace.

“My own mother thought I was a monster. Perhaps now you see why.” Azula enunciates each word with tempered force.

“This is not what makes you a monster princess…” The Avatar rasps. “What is monstrous is the war you help lead…”

“War is the only way to bring order to the world - it separates the strong from the weak. Once order is achieved there will be peace.” She lets him go with a final shove.

“That’s a pretty fucked up thought process.” The Avatar is sitting up now, nursing his reddened neck. 

“I didn’t come here to discuss politics…” She retorts, regaining her composure. 

“A word of advice, Avatar - be careful loving Zuko. He is less in control of himself than I.” She says before leaving the airbender to his solitude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Azula is fun to write, but also tricky. Her psychology from the show is so expertly done and I want to live up to that. She’s older here - 17. She’s brilliant. Everybody is scared of her. She’s told herself this lie that fear is more powerful than love - because she can’t earn love. She doesn’t know how. She resents Zuko for getting it so easily from their mother. No doubt she sees his relationship with Iroh and even Mai as irritating and offensive. Because she’s better than him at everything else, having him ‘best’ her in this regard gets under her skin. So everything he does irritates her. And when she sees Aang being so kind and gentle towards Zuko, and Zuko so protective of Aang it breaks her brain a little. Their love should be impossible. He was set up to fail, yet she sees that Aang loves her brother. And this is what makes her snap in this chapter.
> 
> Meanwhile, Aang doesn’t know Zuko loves him. And he’s trying his best not to notice how he is falling for the prince.
> 
> Next chapter is the Agni Kai... get ready for pain y’ all.


	4. Chapter 4

The month passes without further scandal. Once back together Zuko teaches Aang firebending in secret. They practice each morning before sun up. Warming temperatures have made the little garden adjacent to their room a sanctuary, pleasantly green and hidden away from prying eyes.

After each session Aang would meditate by the pond. Some days when he is afforded a later start, Zuko would join his airbender in meditation - although he finds sleep more often than inner peace. The first time the airbender sits to meditate Zuko smiles to himself. He always guessed this would be Aang’s preferred spot… the prince silently congratulates himself. 

From his good behaviour in penance, the Avatar is given more freedom of movement too, allowing Aang to explore the grounds - as long as he is chaperoned. Usually it is Zuko who takes Aang to the various halls and gardens that make up the labyrinth of the royal palace, pointing out artifacts and explaining their expurgated history. Sometimes the two join Iroh for tea but more commonly they go to the stables and visit Appa. To the bison’s dismay there has not been another flying field trip.

In just shy of three months, Aang has settled into a guarded but comfortable life in the Fire Nation. The loneliness he felt upon his arrival is dampened by Zuko’s affection and attention. Even after all these weeks of conversing they have yet to run out of things to talk about. The prince’s initial taciturn facade gave away to a sincere if a bit awkward man. His jokes never quite land as he planned but his sharp observations and thoughtfulness are ever present during their pillow talk. Over the weeks spent together, Aang watches his husband unfurl into a happier self. He is surprised to find his own heart softening with affection.

Tonight, under the cover of darkness, he follows the prince, scaling the palace walls and climbing to its roofs. Aang is just as light and quiet in this operation as the Blue Spirit alter-ego Zuko dons. 

Eventually they find what they are looking for - a resting place high above the palace grounds, granting them a wide horizon. The pair lie down on the gently sloping glazed tiles to watch the twinkling sky. They link their fingers together as they are fond of doing in private.

They tell each other stories from their childhoods and laugh about the day’s gossip. 

“I have memories of Fire Nation villages from back then…” Aang starts as they explore the past. 

“Before the war got bad Gyatso used to take us on the road a lot. We would camp out in the open… star gazing as we fell asleep. We rarely saw the temples then - being nomads and all... The people there were kind to us. I made friends - kids I looked forward to visiting each year. But the war rhetoric eventually spread all across the Fire Nation… by the time I was nine it was no longer safe to visit those villages. Sometimes I wonder what my friends got up to... I wonder if they miss me or hate me.”

Aang has spoken about Gyatso and his nomadic travels before, but this is the first time he is sharing his experiences in the Fire Nation. Zuko sees a melancholic haze settle on Aang.

“What were your friends like?” He asks.

“We were all pretty wild. Something about the right mix of kids that just… caused chaos.” Aang laughs. “My best friend was probably Kuzon. We got into so much trouble together.”

“Did you know you’re the Avatar back then?”

“No… I was twelve when they told me. The masters would have waited until I was sixteen but the war made us grow up a lot faster.”

“What was that like? Learning you are the Avatar at age twelve?”

“Not a great experience to be honest… I almost ran away… Gyatso found me before I could do it. I already got my arrows by that time so the next logical step is to find a waterbending master. But the war had escalated and I couldn’t make my way to the poles… I ended up defending the temples for five years - only learning waterbending from scrolls.”

Zuko knows what it means for an airbender to get their tattoos. At twelve, Aang was already a master of his element. When Zuko was that age he still struggled with firebending basics. Zuko might have been subjected to the lower instincts of envy if he isn’t so in awe of his husband.

“For what it’s worth, you did a good job.” Zuko tries his hand at encouragement.

“What do you mean?”

“The stalemate at the Southern Air Temple is one of the reasons father wanted this peace treaty. You defended your people well, Aang.” Zuko says, meeting Aang’s gaze, to further convey his sincerity.

Aang looks away and does not speak for a few moments. It feels longer to Zuko, fearing he upset the airbender.

“I never knew… I always thought I was failing them… Did you know our marriage was first proposed years ago? Gyatso shielded me from it, on the account I was only thirteen at the time... But he wasn’t there to protect me the second time...” Aang’s voice cracks a little.

Zuko lets the airbender’s words settle for a moment before looking back to the stars and replying, “For me it was my mother. She fought Fire Lord Sozin against the treaty. It was a messy time for my family. Not long after both Sozin and my mother were gone and father took the throne. The war escalated and peace talks were thrown out… Mom would have liked you though…I wish you could have met her.”

Aang is familiar with Ursa as a benevolent figure in Zuko’s childhood. Her death was traumatic for young Zuko. Officially she died of illness, but from the way Zuko talks about it the real cause was probably something more sinister.

Aang brings Zuko’s hand to his lips and presses a firm kiss on the back of it. This makes the prince turn to him again, golden eyes shining under the moonlight. Their eyes meet and soon their lips. They kiss each other tenderly, both seeking solace from grief in the warm touch of the other.

———

The next day Iroh visits Aang for a game of pai sho. This is not the first time Iroh is dropping in on the Avatar, but it still comes as a pleasant surprise. So with a pot of tea brewing in between them, the two men lay out the board for a friendly match. 

The basic maneuvers Aang learned as a child are outmatched by Iroh’s seasoned eye for the game. Despite having little hope to best the master, Aang enjoys his game with Iroh. The man, a retired general of the Fire Nation, is kind and generous with his advice for pai sho - and life when their conversation ventures beyond the board. Iroh gives Aang the respect of considering his moves with care, treating the young Avatar as an equal.

“Gyatso called this the leaping lemur.” The young airbender says as he moves a tile to its new location, knocking Iroh’s white lotus off the board.

“Ah - very apt name. Quite an agile move for getting yourself out of a sticky situation there.” The retired general responds. “But now your lemur is all alone without backup in my territory, young Avatar.”

“But that was my only chance to get your white lotus and buy myself more time...” Aang looks at the crowded board for options, face scrunched in concentration. 

“Yes, but if you had leaped here,” Iroh points to a spot Aang failed to consider, “You could have opened up a path for more possibilities… see?”

Aang does see and feels a pang of regret for missing the better move. “Master Iroh, you are a genius at this game. I missed that completely!”

Iroh laughs cheerfully at that, “Oh my boy, it is only because I have played many more games than you. Years ago I too was a lemur that leaped without looking. But experience has taught me the importance of seeking allies in unexpected places.”

Iroh’s generosity of spirit has a way of putting Aang at ease. “Thank you for the advice Master Iroh... Zuko is lucky to have you in his life.”

“And I, him.” Iroh says, “My nephew has a big heart. War has taught him to hide it away. But I’m glad to see you bring it out of him again.”

The comment makes Aang‘s face grow warm. But he is quickly reminded that their union is used as a tool to block Zuko's succession to the throne.

“I don’t have that effect on everyone… I know I’m jeopardizing the perfect princely image he has to live up to.” He adds a slight eye roll to keep the tone light.

“Perfection and power are overrated, I think he is wise to choose happiness and love.” Iroh imparts wisely. 

“No offense, Master Iroh, but that’s not something I imagined a Fire Nation general would say.” Aang observes tentatively, not sure if he is pushing the line of familiarity too far.

“Perhaps that is why I retired.” Iroh returns a merry wink.

The game eventually ends with Iroh winning but both players content. After all the pieces are collected and board folded, Iroh bids Aang goodbye and takes his leave.

“Master Iroh, you forgot a tile.” Aang chases after him with the white lotus in hand.

The man smiles at him and says with great intent, “Keep it with you Avatar. It is a good reminder to look for possibilities that are otherwise unseen.”

———

Zuko enters the expectant war room poised for something big. His father’s new plan, which, until now has been shrouded in mystery, will be revealed today. He sees Azula sitting at her usual place by the war map, her presence in the room remains potent despite her relaxed stature.

The generals all fall quiet when Ozai joins them. The Fire Lord holds their silence like a conductor, waiting for the right moment before launching into his speech.

“For fifteen years we have been on this righteous path to bring the world forward. The Fire Nation is advancing on all fronts, gaining tremendous territory. And it is my great honor to finish what my father could not in his lifetime.

“As an act of providence the universe has given our nation a great gift. A comet that will be blessing firebenders with unimaginable power. And in a year’s time, with this power we will crush the resistance in the Earth Kingdom, melt the gates of the Northern Water Tribe, and annihilate the regressive airbenders.”

Zuko listens in horror as Ozai details their plan of attack. There are no mentions of casualties because it is expected to be countless. Such unprecedented destruction will reshape their world to bend under the rule of Ozai - the Phoenix King. When the Fire Lord finishes his speech the room holds its breath.

“What about the Avatar? He is among us - he will surely intervene.” It’s Azula who breaks the silence.

A smirk appears across Ozai’s face. “Very observant question Azula. The Avatar is within our grasp. The Fire Sages’ diligent research has given us his weakness. We can end the Avatar cycle once and for all... Securing our victory for all future generations. By striking him down when he is in the Avatar state - the cycle will be broken. It is a defense mechanism that activates under duress… which I’m sure our men are more than capable in supplying.”

Zuko is frozen in place. His whole body feels like it could shatter by a touch. He must look green because his father turns to him and asks, “Will that be a problem Prince Zuko?”

He lifts his gaze to his father’s face searching for a shred of humanity but finding none. He gets to his feet and hears himself say the words before he can reconsider.

“If Aang’s death is what you seek, father, then honor bounds me to challenge you to an Agni Kai.”

The room breaks out in hushed gasps and whispers. He feels Azula’s incredulous gaze cutting into him as Ozai laughs in response. 

——

Aang knows something is wrong before Zuko enters the room. There is an unevenness to his gate as he approaches in haste. Upon seeing the prince’s pale face his suspicion is confirmed. 

Zuko doesn’t greet him like usual, instead he looks momentarily relieved upon seeing Aang and rushes over to embrace the airbender. Aang feels the man shake in his arms so he tightens his grip. 

“What’s going on Zuko?”

With his nose buried in the crook of Aang’s neck, Zuko draws a few full breaths before pulling back. He frames the airbender’s face in his palms and speaks in a deliberate cadence.

“Aang, listen to me very carefully. Tomorrow there will be an Agni Kai. Before that happens, you need to take Appa and run. I won’t be able to keep you safe after...”

Zuko’s voice cracks. Aang takes this opportunity to interject. “Zuko, slow down. What are you talking about? Agni Kai… isn’t that?”

“A duel. Yes. I’ve challenged my father to a duel.”

“What?!” The airbender exclaims in shock. “Why would you do that?!”

“In one year’s time, a comet will come, increasing the power of all firebenders by ten folds. Father plans to use it to destroy the other nations.”

Aang gasps in horror as Zuko continues, “Go to the Northern Water Tribe. Warn them and then find yourself a waterbending master… There are still plenty of Earth Kingdom towns in the north that are untouched by the war… You will be able to find an earthbending master in one of them… And your firebending… it is coming along - but you have to keep up the practice...”

A sad smile spread across Zuko’s face. “Be the Avatar you were always meant to be... and stop my father.”

“Wait, Zuko. What about you? What’s going to happen at the Agni Kai?”

“Don’t worry about me… It’s just a formality. The important thing is the palace will be preoccupied with it. By the time it’s over you’ll be safely out of the capital.” 

Aang can sense the inconsistency in Zuko’s tone. His husband is definitely not telling him everything.

“And after they realize I’m gone? Wouldn’t your father know you helped me?”

“I’ll play dumb… he’s never had that much hope in me anyway… Don’t worry Aang. I’ll be okay.” The prince reassures him again and touches their forehead together.

But Aang IS worried. Anxiety churns in him like a great torrent. He is about to question Zuko more when the man kisses him. 

“Wait… I think we need to - “ Aang’s protest is cut short by another kiss. 

There is a sense of urgency in the way Zuko kisses him and Aang feels compelled to respond. They make their way to the bed while stripping layers of clothing from each other. He lets Zuko lay him down and pulls the prince to him. Zuko feels solid and warm in his arms. His mouth making meandering trails up and down the airbender’s body, shifting from worship to attacking with teasing bites. 

“Zuko…” Aang moans as his body warms with desire. 

“Please… I need you, Aang.”

“You have me...” Another moan escapes him as words start to lose their meaning. 

That night they make love until their bodies are sticky with sweat, fervently chasing a vanishing edge. In between Aang’s pleas and moans Zuko’s name comes out like prayer. 

When their passions are finally exhausted, the two settle in a familiar embrace.

“Will I see you again?” Aang asks, sleep is threatening to take him.

“Yes. One day… I'll come and find you.” Zuko lies holding onto Aang like it's their last night together.

\--——

Zuko records what he knows of his father’s plans for Aang to carry out of the capital. When he is done he thinks of writing a more personal letter to the airbender. His brush hovers over parchment indecisively - no words come out of it. Love letters are for the living, the prince decides, and he’s a dead man walking. Any confession he writes will only cause more grief for Aang.

He looks over to the sleeping figure in bed. He tries to memorize the airbender’s form, the freckles on his back, the blue of his tattoos, and the warmth of his touch. Zuko tries desperately to make this his final memory of their bittersweet union.

Then he wakes the airbender with a kiss to the temple. “It’s time, Aang.”

They make their way to the palace stables like shadows, scaling walls and travelling by rooftop. They are well practiced and in sync in their movements. Once there, Appa greets the pair with a happy grunt.

“Hey buddy - ready for a field trip finally?” Aang says to his bison.

Zuko goes to saddle up Appa and ready the supplies for Aang’s journey, but they are interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Leaving us so soon, Avatar? But you’ll miss the show.” The voice belongs to Azula, who is now blocking their exit.

Before Zuko can tell Aang to run, Ty Lee drops from her hiding place above them and jabs the airbender’s pressure points with expert precision. 

“Aang!” He calls out as he watches the Avatar crumple to the ground. 

This momentary distraction is enough for him to miss Mai’s presence behind him. Soon throwing blades have him pinned to the ground.

“Sweet brother. Must you be so predictable?” Azula comes into view. And with a shock of lightning, Zuko drifts into darkness.

——

He wakes on the tiled floor of a small room. Awareness pushes its way into Zuko’s throbbing head as he takes in his surroundings. The few pieces of furniture present are stripped down: a simple chair and wardrobe made of cheap wood with a washbasin tucked in between them. 

He knows this to be one of the change rooms beneath the amphitheater, often used as an arena for duels. Zuko rarely ventures into its underbelly, but the dank halls and small rooms have made enough of an impression on the prince to be recognizable now. He looks to the small window mounted high on the wall, through which a brightening indigo paints the pre-dawn sky. It won’t be long before the Agni Kai begins. 

He needs to find Aang. Of course his chance of success is next to nill. But Zuko can think of nothing else. The prince pushes himself off the floor and heads for the door. He finds it unlocked but two guards are posted on either side. They cross their spears and prevent his exit.

“You dare to block the way of your prince?” He says, trying to sound indignant.

“Sorry your highness but we are under orders from the Fire Lord to keep you inside until the Agni Kai.” One of the guards replies, sounding not very sympathetic at all.

Zuko is about to protest more when Iroh comes into view.

“Uncle!” He calls out getting the man’s attention. 

“Prince Zuko. I was just coming to find you.” There is no indication of abnormality in Iroh’s voice. He is calm as always.

“I have come to wish my nephew good luck. May I, gentlemen?” He says to the guards gesturing at their crossed spears.

“Of course, general Iroh.” A guard replies with veneration before both of them step out of the way.

Once inside and the door safely closed, Iroh hugs Zuko fiercely.

“You stupid boy…” The old man sounds sad and relieved when he says it.

“Uncle… Aang - what’s happened to him? Where are they keeping him? We have to help - “

“Zuko, I’m afraid it is too late for that. Your father has ordered the Avatar’s presence at the Agni Kai. He is with the Avatar right now.”

Zuko’s blood runs cold in his vines.

“You have to focus, Zuko. The only way to save Aang now is to defeat your father in the Agni Kai. This war has escalated too far. Ozai’s plans are that of a madman’s. He needs to go down and you are in a unique position to make that happen.” 

Iroh’s grave expression is only matched by the seriousness of his voice. In all his years, Zuko has never seen his uncle’s spirit so foreboding. 

“This is not something I ever wanted for you, nephew... But now I am afraid the only way forward is through. With you on the throne, you can end the war - and save Aang.”

Iroh raises a calloused hand to Zuko’s face, grasping him affectionately. His eyes moist with tears threatening to spill.

“Uncle… There is no way… Father is too strong. I don’t stand a chance.” 

“You are stronger than you think Zuko. Living in Azula’s shadow has made you overlooked and underestimated. Use that to your advantage. Remember all that I have taught you.”

“Okay…” Encouragement is rare in Zuko’s life. He is without recourse but to accept it dumbly.

Iroh pulls Zuko into another tight hug. “Ever since Lu Ten passed… I have seen you as my son...”

“I know uncle… I love you too.”

Despite his uncle’s rallying words, Zuko understands the chances of him walking away from the Agni Kai has not miraculously increased. Likely, Iroh is wringing the tiniest bits of optimism out of this impossibly bad situation, as both of them are powerless to prevent what is about to occur. 

“Please, uncle. If I don’t make it… promise me you’ll do all you can to protect Aang.”

“You have my word, my boy.”

——-

Ozai circles the chained up Avatar and studies the young man as if he is a specimen of some minor curiosity. In his hand are the treasonous notes written by his own son.

“You have made a traitor out of my son, Avatar.” He states, detached from any semblance of grievance.

“What you are planning is mad! Zuko is too good to go along with your lies…” 

“Good… what a limiting and bland word. I think… cowardly… uninspired… soft are more fitting for that child. I have tried my best to make him strong. But it is obvious now no effort from me will be enough. Suffering will have to be his teacher.”

The Fire Lord steps closer and places a hand around Aang’s neck. He doesn’t apply any pressure. The fact he could end the airbender in chains goes unspoken. 

“I can almost see why he did it…” A faint smile appears on Ozai‘s lips as he moves his hand to caress Aang’s cheek. The heat from his palm makes the Avatar flinch.

“I’m afraid we will have to continue this another time.” 

The Fire Lord turns to leave, and Aang is slightly ashamed at how relieved he feels.

“After you are done with him, make sure the Avatar gets a good seat for the Agni Kai.” He says to the guards posted in the room before exiting.

——

The open air stadium is full when Aang is escorted to his place. It’s high columns loom over a large barren platform. 

The Avatar has just been shaved, bathed, and changed into a set of pearl white robes. The fabric is heavy, lustrous, and practically shines when contrasted against a sea of maroon in the stands. He feels conspicuous in his new garb... and the restraints binding him. Especially so when he is seated in the royal box by himself. Perhaps he is the pre-show before the duel.

White is the Fire Nation’s color of mourning. Looking down at the chains around his wrist and ankles, Aang is unsure if he is supposed to mourn for Zuko or himself. It is likely both. Given Ozai’s propensity for manipulation, Aang knows all of this is to throw Zuko off balance.

It was sometime before anything happened in the hushed stadium. Unlike a match of true sport, there are no jovial cheers of support when Ozai and Zuko finally make their appearance. The crowd remains eerily somber and quiet. 

The prince spots him without difficulty and Aang meets his gaze across the distance. He gives Zuko an encouraging smile and nod, trying to convey he is okay. When Zuko looks away he betrays no emotion, but like a sixth sense, Aang can feel the prince tense up.

The two men take opposite sides of the large rectangular dueling platform and disrobe down to their trousers. With each passing moment the tension binding the crowd coils tighter, begging for release.

Finally Zuko and Ozai take their positions and ready their stances. Aang is unsure what marks the start of an Agni Kai. But his question is soon answered when the Fire Lord springs into action.

Ozai strikes with speed and power, each blast roars with ferocious strength. Zuko is agile and evades the attacks without much difficulty. But the younger man is clearly on the defensive.

Aang watches from above, leaning so far forwards he is barely touching his seat. His heart is pounding with adrenaline. As time goes on Ozai’s movements only quickens. Aang realizes with dismay that the Fire Lord is simply warming up - toying with his son.

As the match intensifies Zuko’s evations become near misses. Soon, and perhaps inevitably he is knocked off his feet by the more practiced firebender. Aang almost cries out, not realizing tears have been gathering in his eyes until the first drop spills.

Blinking his tears away, Aang almost misses Zuko’s spinning kick as a ring of fire flies around the young man - keeping his attacker at bay. Ozai narrows his eyes in contempt when he sees his son standing once more. Deciding to stop the games, the Fire Lord shoots a bolt of lightning at Zuko. The speed of its generation is a fraction of what Aang experienced with Azula.

To everyone’s utter shock, the prince seems to catch the lightning rather than be struck down by it. Time slows and the entirety of the stadium holds its breath. Zuko redirects the lightning back at his father but misses.

Aang can see the angry sneer on Ozai’s face as he realizes Zuko missed. Without hesitation, the man sends another powerful bolt towards his son. Zuko, weakened from exertion, is slower to respond. 

The prince’s cry of pain echoes in the stadium as the bulk of the lightning flies from his fingertips into the sky. Zuko collapses to the ground, body spasming from the residual energy. 

Lying in the center of the dueling stage Zuko looks to be barely conscious when Ozai approaches him. Angry red burns branching from his chest. Like veins they crawl along Zuko’s arms and neck, slowly claiming his life. 

Now standing over his incapacitated son, Ozai regards down at Zuko with cold distain. The man steps on one of Zuko’s wrists to secure it in place before dropping to his knee and onto the fresh injury, pinning the prince like a moth to a board. Zuko is too weak to cry out, only a gurgle surfaces. The Fire Lord then grabs Zuko’s other arm by the wrist and pin it over his head. After leaning down to his son’s ear, Ozai speaks for a few moments. 

Only few could hear the prince’s response but most see his pathetic and futile struggles against his father’s weight.

“Please. Father… spare him.”

This makes Ozai smile, “No.”

He lifts a hand producing a focused dagger of flame, readying to end his petulant first born. Knowing his fate, Zuko looks away from his father and finds Aang in the stands. With one last glance of his beloved airbender, Zuko closes his eyes.

Aang watches the entire sequence with horror. Anguish exploding from within until finally the world around him flickers. The next thing he knows he is hovering high above the ground, wind bellowing all around him.

“No!” He cries out. But the voice is not his own. It has the weight of a thousand echos and it sends shockwaves across the audience.

——

Ozai hears the synchronized anger of a thousand Avatars and looks up. The monk has done it. He has entered the Avatar state as Ozai planned. Giddy with power, he moves to strike down his son quickly so he can move on to the more important endeavor of ending the Avatar. But just as his flame is reaching Zuko’s flesh he is thrown across and eventually off the dueling platform by a powerful gust. 

The archers he has in place shoot their arrows in vain. The vortex of air surrounding the Avatar fling them away and into the audience, causing panic. Soldiers charge the platform as chaos infects the masses. Avatar Aang, still bound in chains, gathers the unconscious Fire Prince close to his body and takes off from the open top of the stadium.

Ozai spits fires of rage when his men report the Avatar has escaped on the back of his miraculously saddled bison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer than I thought... but you get a longer chapter!
> 
> So a couple of thoughts. In the show, Aang is quite good at escaping the Fire Nation so I have to make it plausible that he would stay in captivity for so long. It starts with the treaty and not wanting to cause harm to his people. Here I think Aang sticks around out of concern for Zuko.
> 
> There is a missing scene between Ozai visiting Aang and him getting to the stadium. I feel like I’ve put our boy through enough already, so I left that unwritten. I’m a slut for the whump trope though - but gotta exercise some self control...
> 
> I think Zuko misses Ozai slightly on purpose. Even in such desperation he can’t bring himself to murder his father. I haven’t decided how much of that was a conscious decision though. I think it’s realistic for an abused kid to not be able to do it. There is this perverted devotion to your abuser even when your rational brain is telling you it’s all bullshit.
> 
> As for Appa being all saddled up - that’s all Iroh. In previous outlines I had Iroh helping the two escape and getting captured as a result. But I ended up scrapping that for this...
> 
> I already have a chunk of Ch 5 written (kinda jumped around a bit... this was a hard chapter to write!)... so hopefully it will be a quicker update. As always, I LOVE to hear what you guys think, your feels, your speculations. I mean - it literally gives me life to see an AO3 email. Lol. Hope you are enjoying this. I’m having lots of fun writing it! 
> 
> We’ll see the water siblings and Yue in the next chapter! I’m so excited!


	5. Chapter 5

Katara is the first to spot the flying bison. But it would take her and her patrol another ten minutes of anxious fixation to distinguish it from a Fire Nation balloon. Her compatriots are young like her. While many know of the air nomad’s flying bison, none of them have seen one in person. It’s been at least eight years since an airbender last visited the Northern Water Tribe. As a result they are all on edge by the bison’s unannounced appearance over their waters. Katara and the other waterbenders ready themselves to pull it out of the air before it can pass them.

This turned out to be unnecessary as it soon becomes clear the beast is losing altitude quickly. It crashes into the sea before reaching their boats. So they advance towards it and use waterbending to immobilize it in a large patch of ice. The bison has two riders and all three seem barely clinging to life itself. There is no struggle or attempts to get away.

Katara, Kana and Frio approach on foot as per protocol. They are the strongest benders amongst the patrol. All three of them pause once they see the sorry state of the two riders. One is clearly an airbender, his blue tattoos visible over his bare arms and back. The other figure remains a mystery wrapped in thick layers of fabric and held over the rider’s lap.

Seeing they have stopped, the sluggish airbender hugs his friend close and moves to descend the bison. Well, fall is probably a more apt word. He manages to soften their landing with a puff of air, rolling their bodies midair so his charge lands on top. A faint grunt escapes the monk when they hit the ice.

The sound of jingling chains draws Katara’s attention to the metal cuffs around the airbender’s wrists and ankles, although the chains have been severed, they paint a clear picture of escape. She approaches them with care. Once Katara gets a good look at their faces the horror of their story becomes truly clear.

Dark shadows under the airbender’s cloudy grey eyes seem to be permanently etched on the young man’s gaunt face. But it’s the mangled features of his companion that elicits a gasp from Katara. At first she mistakes him for a demon without a face. Only when he stirs does she see the redness of his burn has spared the other side of his very human features. White as the ice they rest on, if he has not stirred Katara would have thought him a corpse.

“Please… help him...” The monk says weakly, his eyes already shutting.

Before Katara could respond, he too fell unconscious.

——

“We are gonna have to find another source of food for that bison.” Her brother says as he enters the healing hut without any other form of greeting.

“What did you guys find for it… him… her?” Katara asks, looking away from her work for a moment.

“Stale hay from some old cots. The chief says there are supplies coming from the Earth Nation - so hopefully we should have some more soon… He…? He’s got a real appetite.”

“I’m not surprised. They must have been starved on the way here.” She says looking down at the unconscious airbender.

“So… is it true…? Are they… THEM?” Sokka inquires in a dramatically hushed voice.

“Must be… given the intel we received yesterday, it would be too much of a coincidence if this isn’t the Avatar.”

“So that means…” Sokka looks at the other glowing pool of healing water currently being worked on by master healer Yogoda.

“If this is indeed the Fire Lord’s disgraced son. Our tribe will soon be in the Fire Nation’s crosshairs.” Yogoda chimes in, still diligently healing the burned body in her care.

“I think it’s safe to say the peace treaty is now moot if both the Avatar and the Fire Prince are fugitives from the Fire Nation…” Sokka observes with dismay.

Katara and Yogoda let the observation marinate in silence while Sokka makes his way over to study the unconscious prince.

“So this is the infamous prince Zuko… Pretty messed up that his own dad did this to him... I wonder what compelled the Avatar to save him?” Sokka asks no one in particular.

“You’d think he’d hightail outta there the first chance he got. Everyone knows the Air Nomads only gave him up under pressure. No way he actually -“

Sokka’s musings are suddenly cut short by a loud gasp of air. The Avatar has shot up from his pool like a reanimated corpse.

“Zuko!” His eyes are wide with panic. He snaps his head left and right to take in his surroundings before finally finding the unconscious firebender.

The water he is submerged in no longer glows as Katara, having fallen backwards from shock, is no longer bending it. Yet, said water rises to form a mound and pushes the airbender out of his sunken tub, on to his feet. If there were any doubts the Avatar is among them… then they are no more.

He rushes to his traveling companion. Only after he is by the firebender’s side and has taken a good look does the Avatar become fully aware of the room - and the people in it.

Still wide eyed and a bit embarrassed the Avatar asks. “Is this Agna Qel’a of the Northern Water Tribe?”

“Yeah.” Sokka, shocked by the scene unfolding before him, answers as he is the one holding the airbender’s gaze.

“Are you healing him? Is he going to be okay?” He’s turned to Yogoda now.

“Yes… and we are not sure…” the elder answers calmly, her voice gentle. She seems less affected by the sudden excitement than the siblings.

“Oh…” The young man’s face visibly sank at the second answer.

“I tried my best…” He takes the firebender’s limp hand from the pool and holds it close. “We couldn’t stop. I did what I could when we landed for rest. But I’m no healer… All I could do was to ease his pain.”

“You probably saved his life.” It’s Katara who spoke. She has come to kneel beside the airbender by the healing pool.

For the first time Aang gets a good look at the waterbender. She is strikingly beautiful. He is held by her blue eyes, speechless, for a beat.

“T-thanks for saying that… I’m Aang by the way.”

“Katara” She takes his extended hand and shakes it, smiling warmly.

“So… Avatar Aang?” Sokka interjects.

Aang turns to him and returns a sheepish grin, “Yeah.”

“I’m Sokka, that one there is my little sister. And this is master healer Yogoda.” He finishes the introductions.

“It’s very nice to meet you. Thank you so much for helping us. I don’t know what we would have done if you had not found us.”

Aang looks back at the injured prince, still cradling his hand. In a practiced gesture of tenderness the Avatar presses a kiss to the back of it - inadvertently dispelling any ambiguity of the nature of their relationship.

——

The siblings are kind to Aang. They fed and dressed him before leading him around the capital city for a tour. This is not Aang’s first time visiting Agna Qel’a, but the city has changed. It is decidedly more militaristic now, layers of defensive walls and stocked up ice boulder piles. Aang can feel the sense of unease permeating from the frozen city and its people.

“Our tribe is smaller and more vulnerable to the Fire Nation raids… When they started to take waterbenders away our parents talked about sending me north. But before I could leave there was another raid… and…” Katara has stopped in her tracks, too overcome with grief to continue.

Sokka puts a comforting hand on his sister and finishes for her.

“They killed our mother… She was a non-bender… but when the soldiers came knocking she turned herself in - to put them off Katara’s scent. But none of us knew the Fire Nation had changed their minds about taking prisoners… That was a dark day for our tribe. They slaughtered a dozen waterbenders. Katara is the only one who escaped… After that dad sent us here with a few others to train and join the war effort.”

They are all standing still now. Aang lets out a long heavy breath.

“I’m so sorry that happened to you… The war is monstrous…” This is not the first time Aang has seen a family torn apart by the war, but finding the right words to respond remains a challenge for him.

“It’s hard to be away from those you love. How long have you been here?”

“Just over three years now. Katara’s waterbending training is really coming along and I’m working my way up the ranks too - “

“Dating the princess sure has its perks.” Katara, recovered somewhat, slides in a snarky remark.

“Hey! How dare you accuse Yue of nepotism. I earned my stripes fair and square!”

Katara only rolls her eyes at Sokka’s faux outrage, a smile finally creeping back in place.

“Princess Yue?” Aang also brightens at the name.

“Yeah - you know her?”

“We met once… years ago. I doubt she remembers me though.”

——

Aang carries the still unconscious Zuko to their room that evening. Sokka had offered to help move the prince on a stretcher but he remained steadfast in doing it himself. As it turns out, the Avatar bridal carrying the prince of an enemy state is somewhat of a rare sight in the city. Their short journey from the infirmary drew many curious glances from dumbfounded pedestrians.

“I hope this room is okay.” Katara says upon arrival by their new abode.

“Any room with a bed is great! Thanks again Katara. You have been very kind to us.”

“You are welcome. Really, it’s the least I could do. This block is where most of us have settled after coming here.” She says, referring to the refugees of the war.

“Yogoda says to bring Zuko back at sun up for another session. And the Council of Elders are convening in the morning too. They would like to talk to you.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll come and show you the way. Sokka and I are just three doors down if you need anything.” With that they bid each other goodnight and retreated into their separate rooms.

The space is modest but had the essentials. Aang is caught off guard by the two twin beds before him. For housing refugees, who are meant to share most spaces, he supposed this is the most practical layout. He doesn’t think more of it before laying Zuko down on one of the beds and retiring to the other.

Aang only realizes he is exhausted after his head hits the pillow. He shuts his eyes, eager for some rest but soon realizes it won’t come easily. Every time he feels the heaviness of slumber seeping into his muscles, his body would jolt awake as if leaping back from a cliff. His mind is equally restless. Flashes of their journey north plays in fractured segments.

_They are flying through a rough storm, four days into their escape. On any other occasion it would have been mad to fly in such conditions, but Aang saw a scout vessel on the horizon earlier that day and he cannot be sure they passed unnoticed._

_The strong winds would make a trying and turbulent ride for the most able of flyers. Zuko, who has been in and out of consciousness since they left the capital, is in no shape to stay in the saddle without aid. So with Appa’s reins warped around one arm, Aang cradles his husband’s limp body for the time being, rain and sleet battering their bodies. But Zuko is not a newborn babe. It’s a tiring and awkward endeavor that requires Aang to readjust every few minutes, lest have the prince slip from his grasp._

_“Aang… We should land.” Zuko, seeing his husband’s struggle, pushes out these few words with difficulty._

_“Can’t - they might be tailing us.”_

_“No… I mean. Leave me. They will take me home.” Zuko tries again._

_“For the last time Zuko - I’m not leaving you behind to be killed by your own people!” Aang’s voice is strained with frustration. Ever since they made their escape Zuko has been suggesting to Aang to go on by himself - that he would make a speedier get away without Zuko’s ‘dead weight’._

_Aang takes in a deep breath and collects himself before looking down at the bundled up prince. He manages the best smile his exhausted body allows._

_“Remember what I said about having an upbeat attitude?”_

_“Yeah… sorry.” Zuko hides by nuzzling his nose to the airbender’s collarbone._

_Aang relaxes when he feels Zuko's warm breaths on his skin. He places a long kiss on the firebender’s crown, trying to convey his love for the man._

_“We are almost there. Stay with me now…”_

Aang is exhausted and tense when he crawls out of bed and takes the few steps necessary to reach Zuko’s.

“I can’t sleep - move over.” He says to his comatose husband.

“Ugh always hogging the bed you are….” He mumbles to himself and gently nudges Zuko to free up some space on the small bed.

This is of course not true. Zuko is remarkably disciplined, even in sleep. But it just feels like something a married couple like them should gripe over.

Aang curls himself around his husband, being careful of his injuries. He can only see the burned side of Zuko’s face in profile and studies the bubbling skin. His heart aches more than if he had been burned himself.

“Please wake up soon... I love you Zuko… I need you to be okay...”

In the morning Katara finds him drooling on Zuko’s shoulder having slept so deeply he did not hear her knocking.

——

“You said your bison was saddled up and supplied for the journey when you got to the stables. How did that happen?”

The meeting with the tribe elders feels uncomfortably close to an interrogation. Aang has recounted to them the events of the Agni Kai, their escape, and Ozai’s war plans several times. But their questions persist, hitting the same events from different angles.

“I don’t know. Someone in the palace must have done it... As for who… or why... I just don’t know.”

The men do not respond immediately, letting the silence scrutinize his answer some more.

“This was found in your supplies. What does it mean to you?” One of the elders with a balding head has pulled out a pai sho tile. It is the white lotus.

Aang pauses in recognition, everything coming together before him. He hesitates in answering, fearing the truth might expose Iroh or sound false. But seeing no other recourse, he tells them what he knows.

“Master Iroh, brother to Fire Lord Ozai, once gave me a tile just like that… He told me to look for allies in unlikely places… Do you think…?” Aang trails off looking back at the expectant jury.

“Thank you for the information, Avatar Aang. We are grateful for the intelligence you have provided. If what you say is true, then we must increase our defenses.” Chief Arnook says indicating they are at the end of the interrogation.

“I have looked into the Fire Lord’s eyes. It is true. He has no regard for human life - I believe he will burn down the world if we don’t stop him -” Aang starts passionately before being cut off by the chief.

“Thank you Avatar.” Arnook says again. “Please - if you would allow us a few moments to confer in private. This is a lot of information to digest. We will call you back when we are ready.”

That is how Aang found himself alone in the icy hall of the palace, fidgeting.

“Aang?” A voice calls from a distance.

Aang looks up from his hands and finds Sokka coming down the hall with the princess. Her signature silver hair makes her presence unmistakable.

“Yue!” Aang calls back, surprised and happy to see his old friend.

“It’s so good to see you!” She obviously returns his excitement and unfolds her arms for a hug.

It’s been a decade since they last met. He worried she had grown out of their friendship. But clearly their childhood escapades left an impression on her. They embrace like old friends and when they break away Sokka is starring with a hint of something in his eyes.

“You two know each other well, then?” He asks tentatively.

“Oh honey - Aang was getting me into trouble with dad long before you.” She teases him with a mischievous look.

“Yeah, I may have broken Yue out of the palace when I was here last time… There was a search party involved…”

“I was grounded for a month after you left! But really, it wasn’t that different from my normal life - so our night out was worth it.”

Yue’s smile is radiant and unchanged from the happy eight year old in Aang’s memories. This thread to a shared past is powerful enough to warm his entire being.

“Sorry I wasn’t able to come meet you yesterday. Sokka told me about your journey here - sounds harrowing.” Her tone has turned sympathetic.

“I’m just happy to see you now. And yes… it was a rough ride over. But we got here. That’s the important thing.”

At the mention of ‘we’ Yue asks about Zuko.

“How is the prince doing?”

Aang lets out a long sigh before responding. “Not well to be honest… I’m worried, Yue. Katara says if he doesn’t wake up in a day or two we’d be in real trouble. The healing pools can only sustain him for so long…”

“Have they tried the waters from the Spirit Oasis?”

“No… what’s that?”

Before Yue can explain the door to the council chamber has opened again. One of the elders beckons Aang’s return.

Seeing their time together is ending. Yue speaks quickly.

“Ask father about the Spirit Oasis and let’s catch up more over dinner?” She smiles encouragingly.

“That would be great. Thanks Yue. See you later Sokka.” He waves goodbye to the pair as he rejoins the elders.  
____

“Avatar Aang. We are deeply appreciative of the risk you took to bring us the information of Fire Lord Ozai’s plans. The Northern Water Tribe will coordinate the mobilization of troops with our sister tribe. In the meanwhile, we hope to have your continued support in the north. We understand you are looking for a waterbending master. Master Pakku has agreed to train you personally.” Chief Arnook deliberates and gestures to the balding elder who earlier had pulled out the white lotus tile.

“Of course you will have my continued support, Chief Arnook. And thank you for allowing me to train under Master Pakku.” Aang bows respectfully.

“Well, I think that concludes our discussion for today. Is there anything you need from us, Avatar?” The chief asks kindly.

“Yes, actually... As you know I have come with a companion… my husband.” Aang says - the words feel foreign in his mouth. While the concept of having Zuko as his husband is well integrated with his sense of self, he has yet to describe their relationship in so many words.

“None of this would have been possible if Zuko hadn’t risked his life to expose the truth. As you know, he was severely injured in the Agni Kai. I am grateful for master Yogoda’s help - but he’s condition is not improving. I understand the Spirit Oasis may contain a cure. I’d like to ask for permission to take Zuko there.”

No one responds to Aang’s request for some time. At the mention of Spirit Oasis he can detect the room growing tense.

“Avatar Aang.” The chief starts, voice more formal than earlier. “You should understand that the Spirit Oasis is a deeply spiritual place in our tribe. Few are allowed to set foot in there, let alone to use its waters for healing. While we are grateful for prince’s Zuko’s sacrifice we simply cannot let an outsider trespass on its sacred grounds.”

Arnook looks to either side of him, the elders all nod in agreement. The council stands in unison on the subject, erecting the wall of tradition to prevent Aang from reaching his goal.

“But Zuko knows more of his father’s plans than I. The notes he wrote for me have been lost. He is our best chance to get that intelligence.” Aang tries to reason.

“Whatever he knows will no longer be relevant due to his very public defection. The Fire Lord will surely be changing his strategy. Even if he tells us the truth to begin with.” One of the elders speaks up. His questioning of Zuko’s honor immediately puts Aang on edge.

“Regardless, he will give us insight to the way Ozai thinks. He knows his father’s temperament and -“ He is cut off by the same elder before he can finish.

“That is exactly it, Avatar. He is his father’s son. The fruit, try as it may, cannot fall beyond the tree’s shadow, hm? We would not be able to trust what comes from the Fire Prince. His people are slippery liars. You are not old enough to remember - but members of this council are.

“We remember when Fire Nation aggression was masked as protection of trading posts… then it was ‘spreading technological advancements’… Your people lost the Western Air Temple when they ‘reclaimed’ their land. No… no, we cannot trust any of them.”

The reason behind the council’s stubbornness is clear now. His appeal to reason is fruitless and Aang is becoming desperate.

“Please. If the Spirit Oasis can save his life then you have to help him. Is life not sacred?”

“Yes, life is sacred, Aang.” It’s Arnook who speaks again, not unsympathetic. “But the oasis is a very limited resource. We cannot save every life with it. I am sorry but we have to draw the line somewhere.”

“And where is the line then? Would you save him if he is a waterbender? If he is not Ozai’s son?” Aang’s questions come out angry and accusatory, leaving the room in an uncomfortable silence.

Tears are welling up in his eyes and his chest constricts with desperation. Chief Arnook is about to speak when the world flickers around him for a second time since the Agni Kai.

A bright light emanates from the Avatar and the room suddenly drops in temperature. Moisture in the air crystallizes into particles of ice. The warm breaths of the elders are suddenly visible. After the light fades they stare in awe at the man before them. He is no longer a young monk but taken on the older and gruffer cut of Avatar Kuruk.

“You dare to exclude my kin from the healing waters of my own homeland? I have lived a thousand lifetimes - belonging to every nation and no nation. The boundaries you speak of are only illusions of hubris… You will allow Zuko to heal in the oasis and you will share this wealth with the people who need it.”

Aang returns to senses, and to a room with perceivable stunned disbelief.

“What?” He asks, confused at their gawking faces.

——

After the council has agreed to allow Zuko to heal in the Spirit Oasis, Aang all but sprints to the healing huts.

Yogoda, Katara, Sokka and Yue accompany him to the oasis. Once there Aang is surprised to see a lush green garden in the heart of the tundra. Its spiritual energy is palpable concentrating around a small pond in the garden. In it two koi fish, one white and the other black, circle each other in mesmerizing synchrony.

“Place him in the water.” Yogoda instructs.

Aang does as he is told then steps away to let the two waterbenders do their work. Katara and Yogoda stand by the edge of the pool and start to bend the water. When it starts to glow the two koi fish come to investigate the commotion. They swim around Zuko for several minutes and then return to their original place.

A few moments later the prince opens his eyes.

——

When Zuko comes to the first thing he sees are two pairs of waving arms and a pale blue sky. It disorients him and for a moment he thinks he is still flying on Appa’s back. Of course that wouldn’t explain the arms or the fact he is very wet. All confusion is pushed aside when Aang’s happy face comes into view.

“Aang.” He tries to say, but his throat, due to disuse, refuses to make the sound so the name comes out like a croak.

“Zuko!” The airbender exclaims with watery eyes.

Before he can say anything else the water around him lifts Zuko up and expels his body from itself. Upon release from the sentient water he realizes his limbs are as useless as jelly and collapses into Aang’s waiting arms.

He takes the opportunity to embrace his husband, thankful his arms still obey his will.

“I’ve missed you, my Fireyness.” Aang is looking at him like he’s the most wonderful thing in the world.

“I missed you too.” He manages before capturing the Avatar’s lips with his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to split this chapter up into 2! So this is part 1. There is some set up for the emotional scenes in part 2. I CANT WAIT TO SHOW YOU
> 
> I’m so glad I found Yogoda’s name on the wiki... the wiki has been a great help!
> 
> The Kuruk scene is supposed to be reminiscent of Roku telling Jong Jong to teach Aang firebending. I made Yue Aang’s childhood friend to boost the speed of bonding. Seeing how he wasn’t stuck in ice for 100 years and he’s travelled the world before fighting in the war - this probably would happen. Aang is definitely chaotic good - causing trouble where ever he goes haha.
> 
> The flashback just kills me every time. I dunno about you, but Zuko not feeling like he’s worth saving is top tier ANGST. This will be explored more in part 2 and will drive a lot of the emotional conflict... *twirls mustache
> 
> Katara and Sokka’s backstory is similar to that of the show. But the death of their mother is more fresh because they are aged up and the timeline here is a bit different. I really like the theory that Hama is the reason the Fire Nation killed ‘the last waterbender’ of the Southern Water Tribe. I don’t know if I’ll explicitly write it - but here the FN kills the waterbenders as retaliation for Hama escaping... so, similar to other arcs, this fic is a darker take on the universe.
> 
> Thank you for coming back and reading when I update. You guys are fabulous and I have so much fun reading your comments. MUCH LOVE!! Next chapter will be up in a few days!


	6. Chapter 6

Zuko is not sure why Aang crawls into bed with him when there is another perfectly decent bed in the room. But he doesn’t question it, he only moves to make room for the airbender on their small twin. So much so his arm hangs off the edge.

“Hey, come here.” Aang giggles. “I don’t want you falling off the bed.”

“Unlikely, I’m an extremely disciplined sleeper - you on the other hand…”

“Aw, don’t run away. I promise I won’t slap you in my sleep again. That was one time.” 

Aang slips an arm around his middle, pulling him close. His words go from teasing to affectionate, “Besides, I just got you back.”

Zuko feels like he could melt.

“Yue invited us over for dinner later. Are you feeling up to it?”

If he was relaxed this makes him tense again. Aang briefly introduced Zuko to his new friends at the oasis before they returned to their rooms for some rest. It wasn’t enough time for Zuko to form an opinion on any of them, but his own sorry state has made the encounter uncomfortable for him.

It’s easy for the Avatar to make friends here, in the water tribe. Zuko is not under any delusion that it will be the same for him. He feels the inflexible skin of his hardening scar stretch with his grimace. 

Reading his hesitation, Aang quickly adds, “Yue will understand if we want to reschedule. Either way we need to get some food into you soon. You haven’t eaten anything in four days.”

His large grey eyes are trained on the most minute of Zuko’s reactions.

“We should go.” Zuko responds, deciding he should at least try to make friends.

So after a short respite in bed they prepare for dinner at the palace. It is ideal to change into something nicer for such an occasion, but all of their clothes have been turned into rags during the journey. The wardrobe in their room comes pre-stocked with simple water tribe garb, which Aang has already been wearing, and proceeds to help Zuko into. 

They quickly learned that although standing and able, Zuko’s body has taken a toll from his injuries and days of unconsciousness. He is gaunt and slow in movement. A far cry from the proud Fire Prince who instructed Aang in demanding bending moves.

Unable to move his arms to level his shoulders, Aang helps Zuko comb his unkempt hair into place. Zuko sits on the bed with Aang behind him working diligently to untangle his long locks. 

When Zuko quietly asks for a mirror the airbender freezes in mid motion, realizing the prince has not seen his own reflection since before the Agni Kai. 

“Sure, I think there is one around here somewhere… Let me just finish this up.” He tries to sound natural while tying Zuko’s hair in place with red silk. It’s the only personal item to survive their journey unscathed. 

When Aang finds the mirror he hesitates in handing it to Zuko. He wants to say something, words of comfort or protection, but none comes to him. Zuko takes the mirror from Aang, his touch lingering for a moment as if to tell his husband that he is alright.

Lifting it to his face, a visceral gasp escapes Zuko. He studies his own features for a long while before finally putting the mirror face down next to him. 

Aang watches as his husband’s whole being sink into despair. His shoulders drop, as does his eyes - unable to speak.

The Avatar kneels to catch Zuko’s lowered gaze. He reaches his hands for Zuko’s and holds on to them for dear life.

“Zuko, I know this is painful for you. But it doesn’t change who you are. You are still the brave and beautiful man that I love...”

Something registers in Zuko’s eyes, snapping them into focus. Seeing this Aang stops talking and waits for Zuko to respond.

“You love me?”

Aang is caught off guard by the question. It suddenly occurs to him that amongst all the chaos, this is the first time he has said those words to Zuko. Aang quickly recovers and smiles his boyish smile up at the man.

“Yes, very much.” He replies, unfolding himself to reach Zuko’s lips for a kiss.

The prince is so shocked by the revelation that he momentarily forgets how to kiss. When they part there are tears in his eyes.

“I love you too.”

——

The main course of the meal is a hearty stew that smells like nothing Zuko has ever smelled before. He looks over to Aang who is equally apprehensive of the thing plated in front of them. 

“This is seaweed stew, a classic Northern dish. I asked chef Ashu to make something special for our recovering guest. Sick children across our tribe are well acquainted with this, but Ashu has his own take on it. It’s very nutritious and delicious!” Yue encourages them upon seeing the pair’s hesitation. 

“That’s very considerate of you, princess. Thank you.” Zuko politely responds before taking in a spoonful. 

It is not as offensive as he thought. With hunger aiding his appetite it makes the stew more palatable. But out of the corner of his eye he can see Aang try much harder to hold it down.

Conversation over dinner is a pleasant mix of introductions and recollections. While both Aang and Zuko are new to the group it seems with just a few days head start, Aang has already built somewhat of a friendship with the water siblings. Yue, being a rekindled friend is even more comfortable with the airbender.

“So Appa is the first flying bison I have ever seen. I didn’t know they could travel so quickly.” Katara observes about their journey.

“We really pushed Appa to his limits. Usually the journey would have taken at least one more day.” Aang replies, proud of his friend. “But he’s amazing, always getting me out of trouble.”

“And into trouble.” Zuko quips, thinking back to their one and only field trip together.

“Ha! That’s more us than Appa though.” Aang smiles, putting a hand on Zuko’s, no longer needing to hide it under the table while out in public.

“I have to say,” Sokka starts when he sees this display of affection. “We were all a little surprised that you guys like… ‘like’ each other.”

“Sokka!” Katara hisses at her brother.

“What! I think it’s just great. Aang is dating - pardon me - married to a prince and I’m dating a princess. It’s all grand! We’ll just have to find you a nice Earth Kingdom royal to smooch and we’d be all set.” Sokka shows his teeth in an exaggerated grin then gives his sister a thumbs up.

Zuko takes to Sokka the easiest. His youthful goofiness is easy to read and makes him affable. Yue is trained by her station to be a bit more distant, although she clearly has a soft spot for Aang, and especially Sokka. 

Katara on the other hand is somewhat of an enigma to Zuko. She is a warm and nurturing presence. On top of being a reputable bender and healer she is undeniably beautiful. In contrast to the ethereal beauty Yue poses with her silver locks and sylphlike figure, Katara’s beauty is approachable and inviting. Perhaps that is why she seems to have an effect on Aang.

Over the course of dinner Zuko has witnessed the shared looks between his husband and the waterbender. Their eyes have a tendency to find each other regardless of what is being discussed or who is talking. When Sokka cracks a joke Katara is likely to roll her eyes not at her brother but at Aang who smiles in affirmation.

Tendrils of envy sprout from panic as Zuko watches their bond solidify before him. He is reminded that they are no longer in the caged walls of the royal palace. Aang is free to the world. Zuko might have succeeded in liberating the airbender, but he is not yet prepared to live through what comes after. 

——

“You cannot be serious.”

Aang is back in the Council Chamber, this time, with Zuko. Despite their harsh words about not trusting the prince, the elders did not protest when Aang suggested Zuko’s presence in today’s war meeting.

“Unfortunately I am.” Zuko responds to the elder’s disbelief. “My father plans to melt your walls and scorch the city. He will not negotiate. With the power of the comet, he will likely succeed.”

“A blockade then. We will meet your people at sea, stop them before they reach the city. We will be in our element.”

“He has anticipated that. They will be coming by air.”

“By air? It will take a hundred of your war balloons to ferry the soldiers needed for this operation!”

“Our fleet has had some… upgrades. The new war balloons have an increased capacity - ten times of the older models.”

A panicked silence blankets the room. Aang sees this as his chance to speak.

“Chief Arnook, this is why I urge you to band together with the other nations and take the fight to Ozai - before the comet arrives.”

“Hmm…”

“If we capture the Fire Lord and install Zuko on the throne the war can end without further bloodshed.”

This comment catches Zuko off guard. He sends the airbender a distressed glance but it is not received. They have never discussed Zuko usurping his father with the aid of external forces. Afterall, this would be very different to winning the Agni Kai. Zuko has no wish to be a conqueror of his own nation.

“It may very well come to that Avatar Aang.” Arnook looks grim. He glances at Zuko to size up the man once again.

“We have received communication with an active rebel group in Ba Sing Se. A professor seems to have stumbled on some useful information in the desert.”

“The desert?” Aang asks dubiously, interrupting the chief.

“Yes.” Arnook clears his throat, obviously not used to being cut off in his own meetings. 

“Apparently it is too sensitive to be sent by messenger bird. We will need to find another way to retrieve it. We hope it will provide a solution to the tactical conundrum we face before us.”

“We can fly in on Appa. With some heavy fog, we’ll be able to avoid the lookouts.” Aang volunteers.

“Aang, it’s too dangerous.” ‘for you’ is left unspoken by Zuko.

Before Aang can reason with the prince, Arnook chimes in in agreement.

“Yes, Avatar, you are more valuable here, helping us secure the last stronghold of the resistance.”

Seeing he is out numbered, Aang does not protest. Soon the meeting ends with the chief and elders thanking them both for their attendance. After they bow and leave the room, Aang grabs hold of Zuko’s hand like it’s the most natural thing to do. Feeling the warmth of Aang’s hand, Zuko pushes down any residual unease from the meeting, having no desire to ruin the moment. That’s how they walk home, like new lovers, catching the curious eyes of strangers the entire way.

——

After a few weeks in the capital Aang settles into a routine. Waterbending practice with Katara is a daily occurrence. He trains with Pakku twice a week and then goes to temper what he’s learned with her. Through their sessions it is clear Katara has retained her Southern heritage, despite graduating from Pakku’s school of Northern bending style. She teaches Aang novel tricks that he otherwise would not learn. In fact, he has taken on calling her ‘Sifu Katara’ in earnest.

Sometimes they freestyle and spar to let off some steam. Katara’s creativity and power draws great respect from Aang. While she is not acrobatic in her movements like Zuko, she is athletic and strong willed, pushing through all that Aang can throw at her.

“Wow… you guys dance like soulmates! That was… awesome!” A young bender congratulates them after a particularly exciting sparring session.

“Uh… thanks.” Aang smiles sheepishly at the compliment.

“Good work going toe-to-toe with the Avatar, Katara! You two look so good together!” Frio, one of Katara’s friends, hollers from behind the small crowd that has gathered to watch them.

While enjoying the adoration from the crowd, Aang spots Zuko ducking into an alley leading away from the training grounds. His heart does a happy flip at the rare sighting of Zuko outdoors. 

Even though his body is recovering nicely, Zuko barely goes out of their apartment. And for the past few weeks he has been moody and quiet, making their small room borderline inhospitable. The more Aang tries to comfort Zuko the more he seems to resent the Avatar. It’s honestly turned their two-bed situation into a blessing.

He has been begging Zuko to just go outside and see some sunlight for weeks. Seeing him now makes Aang hopeful that he’s getting through to the prince.

“Great work today, Katara! Same time tomorrow?” Aang calls to her but his feet are already taking him away.

“You know it!” She calls back and waves goodbye.

Aang catches up with Zuko easily enough.

“Zuko! What are you doing all the way out here?”

The prince halts in his steps but doesn’t respond immediately. They are alone in this narrow alley of ice. Orange sunlight is creeping up the walls, leaving them in blue shadow.

“I think I got a bit turned around that’s all…” Zuko’s voice is quiet.

“Oh…? Because I think you were maybe looking for me?” Aang asks hopefully.

“I… you were busy.”

“I’m not anymore.” 

Aang is finally behind Zuko, close enough to reach for his hand. 

“Hey… I’m really glad to see you.” Aang tries.

Zuko turns to look at him, golden eyes molten and charged. Aang sees a flash of his intention before being slammed into the icy wall. The prince pins him there with a kiss.

Shock sends excited sparks up and down Aang’s body. He opens his mouth to let Zuko’s hunger take what it needs. Moaning into the firebender’s attacking mouth he lets the prince’s hands roam his body freely. Zuko is relentless.

Aang doesn’t protest when Zuko flips him over and presses him to the wall. The prince restrains one of his arms against the wall while using his other hand to speedily undo Aang’s trousers. 

“Is this too much?” 

Aang feels Zuko’s hot breath on his neck, his voice uncharastically hesitant.

“Yes. I mean, no... Please fuck me Zuko…” His mind is not all present as Zuko has taken to work on his neck with his mouth. After weeks celibacy Aang didn’t realize how much he needed this… how much they both needed this.

He feels Zuko’s wet tip lining up before it pushes into him. Zuko fucks him dry and it hurts. The prince puts a hand over his mouth to suppress his grunts and moans but Aang only responds by opening it, inviting Zuko’s fingers in. He eagerly sucks on them as Zuko fucks him to completion. 

After tidying himself Zuko sees Aang is still hard. He wordlessly drops to his knees and makes quick work out of his husband. Upon orgasm the airbender’s tattoos give off a revelatory flash. 

Now with his legs turned into jelly, Aang slides down the wall. Zuko looks at him, golden eyes doused with guilt. He touches a hand to Aang’s cheek. One side is angrily red from grating against the frozen wall.

“I hurt you.”

“No, it’s okay... I’m okay. It’ll go away in a bit.” 

Aang pulls Zuko in and kisses him.

“What was that all about?” He asks when they break away.

“I don’t know what came over me…” Zuko mumbles, suddenly unable to meet the airbender’s gaze.

“Are you okay Zuko? I am worried about you…”

Zuko only presses himself closer to Aang and doesn’t answer.

“Please tell me what’s going on Zuko. How am I supposed to help if you don’t tell me anything?”

“I’m fine… I just… just want this to last a bit longer that’s all…”

“Zuko… we are married. This is gonna last a long time my sweet… turtleduck.”

“Turtleduck?” The prince sounds less depressed and slightly amused.

“Yeah, you like them, don’t you? I’ve been trying to think of an endearment for you.” Aang smiles, stroking his hair.

“I suppose… I don’t … dislike them.”

“There you go… Hard shell on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside. Fiercely protective... and adorable. What’s not to love?”

Zuko burrows his nose into the crook of Aang’s neck as he has a tendency to do when feeling embarrassed or exposed.

“I love you, Aang.“ comes the muffled response after a delay. 

“I love you too… Let’s go home. It’s getting dark.”

After they rejoin the lively streets of Agna Qel’a hand in hand, Zuko tries to unsee the raised brows and suspicious gazes that follow him. 

——

That night Aang squeezes into Zuko’s bed for the first time in weeks, settling by the firebender’s warmth. He missed this. Their little tete-a-tete in the ally has chased the frost from their room so this did not seem out of bounds. Indeed, Zuko moves to make space for him as if expecting Aang to join him.

“I’ve been thinking. We should restart your firebending training soon.” The prince starts.

“Are you sure? We can wait another week.”

“No we have waited long enough… I’m ready.”

Aang brushes a few stray hairs away from Zuko’s brow and sees the earnest want in his eyes. 

“Okay.” Aang agrees softly with a smile.

He falls asleep tucked away in Zuko’s arm. They both wake up with sore necks but it remains the most well rested night either has had in a while.

Aang spends the next day exploring the capital city with Katara and Sokka. Zuko refused the invitation knowing his presence would cause tension with the locals. He watches from their window as the airbender runs excitedly to catch up with the siblings. A tinge of regret drags his stomach down - he’s always wanted to see the famous canals Agna Qel’a. 

They made plans to resume Aang’s firebending training later that day, agreeing to meet at the training grounds where Aang and Katara normally practice. With war ever present, the training spaces are booked solid. Aang’s daily slot is a luxury spared only for the Avatar.

To Zuko’s dismay he arrives before the airbender. While waiting he has little choice but to do some warm up stretches. What normally would be an afterthought now feels like a solo performance. After several weeks of relative sedentary existence and a life-threatening injury, even the most basic of movements feels novel to his body.

“Hey Zuko!” Aang has come to put him out of his misery.

“Thank goodness you are finally here.” He sighs relieved, waiving a quick hello to Katara and Sokka.

“Is it okay if we watch?” Sokka asks.

“Sure.” Aang and Zuko respond simultaneously.

They start with reviewing the stances Aang has already learned. Energized by the unadulterated gaiety of the day so far, the airbender is even more thrilled to have Zuko rejoin his life in such an active way. This results in some overzealous flirting.

“You mean like this?” Aang purposefully makes a mistake so Zuko would have to come and readjust his torso.

“You know that’s not how it goes.” Zuko scolds him, but not unamused.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I think I need you to show me again.”

The prince huffs an exasperated sigh and gives in. He goes behind his petulant student and straightens Aang’s back and moves his shoulders into position. Having barely let go he feels Aang softening from his stance. The airbender leans into him, pressing his back to Zuko’s chest. Zuko’s arms seem to have a mind of their own and encircle the body that so eagerly awaits them.

“Be serious, Aang.” But there is no bite in his voice. 

“I’m sorry - I’m just so happy today.” Aang says turning to face him.

With those eyes that are so good at boring down to his soul, Aang is giving him the look again. The look that tells him he is so very important. Something Zuko, despite being born a prince, can scarcely believe. 

Having fully abandoned the stance, Aang frames Zuko’s face with his hands, running a gentle thumb over where his scar meets flesh. After a pause he leans in and they kiss.

“Less kissing and more bending!” Comes Sokka’s voice from the sidelines.

“Yes, Sifu Boomerang!” Aang calls back.

After all the review work is done Zuko and Aang decide to freestyle to let loose. Zuko has heard the comments about Aang and Katara looking like soulmates when they spar. He saw it with his own eyes. They were graceful and fluid. Each move flowing into the next like a dance. It is indeed convincing. But when he spars with Aang as he is now, he _feels_ all of that in his bones. It is invigorating and euphoric. They answer each other’s moves with poetic rhythm - drawing their own crowd of onwatchers. 

Zuko is about to catch the fire Aang sent his way when an unnatural jolt of pain cuts through his being, radiating from his heart. For a moment he thinks he’s been hit by lightning again.

Aang sees Zuko fall to the ground with a hand reflexively clutching at his chest. Before he can react, a bolt of lightning shoots out the prince’s other hand, catching everyone unawares - including Zuko himself. It’s destructive branches of pure energy jump beyond their ring and narrowly misses a few teens standing to watch them spar.

“Zuko!” Aang cries out, rushing over to the fallen prince.

“I’m fine.” It didn’t come out very convincing. But Zuko is already getting back on his feet.

Before he can fully right himself, a snowball finds its target on his back.

“Ash maker!” The snowball’s owner is a child of six or seven.

“Murderer!” Comes a second snowball from the taller friend of the original agitator.

“Hey! Stop that!” Aang yells at the children.

But the crowd that was so entranced in awe moments before has turned fowl. Katara and Sokka desperately try to calm the people but they only shout louder. Aang puts himself in between the angry locals and Zuko - his face has lost all of its boyish charm. The Avatar’s sudden change in demeanor seems to put them on notice.

“Who’s side are you on Avatar?” An angry voice bellows out from the simmering group.

“There are no sides to pick. We are all in this together.” He responds seriously.

“Liar! We can’t trust that ash maker!” Comes another excited protest which prompts an uproar of similar sentiment.

Zuko puts a hand on Aang’s shoulder and shakes his head a little, telling the Avatar to disengage. Aang’s eyes grow large in sympathy and before he can say a word Zuko is walking away.

——

“Zuko, I’m so sorry that happened. Are you okay?” Aang asks once they are back in the privacy of their room.

“Why did you bring me here, Aang?” Zuko answers with a question that has been on the tip of his tongue for some time.

“What do you mean?”

“On our way here… I asked you to leave me… Why didn’t you?”

“I would hope that’s pretty obvious.”

“Is it so I can usurp my father and end the war?”

“W-what? Why, would you say that?” Aang is genuinely surprised by this line of questioning.

“In the meeting with the council… you said it yourself.”

“I - well. I thought that’s what you wanted? With the Agni Kai… I’m so-“ Aang begins to apologize but is cut off by Zuko.

“I told you what I wanted and you didn’t listen.”

“You wanted to - what - die?” Aang questions with a tinge of frustrated snark.

“Yes.” Zuko replies to the charged room.

Aang’s disbelief has turned into horror by Zuko’s confession, then realization.

"You lied to me…" 

"How so?" It’s Zuko’s turn to be confused. But it doesn’t dampen his resentment over being dragged unwillingly into a place where he is persona non grata.

"You said you'd come find me after it's over… But you never intended to get out alive!" 

Aang masks his hurt with anger, now shouting. Zuko responds in kind.

“What does it matter anyway... It was my choice to make! And you took it away from me.” He seethes, practically feral.

“We are married - you don’t get to choose to just bail out of this!” 

Weeks of frigid hostility have been building to this. Both men have plenty of pent up feelings fueling their words.

“Why not?” Zuko challenges Aang, narrowing his eyes.

“Because I didn’t get to choose to be married to you!” It comes out wrong, and Aang knows it. But his pride is too wounded to allow a correction. So he braces for the fight.

Aang immediately regrets this because the prince doesn’t blow up or yell like he expected. Instead, a light seems to be extinguished in Zuko’s eyes as he absorbs Aang’s words.

“Zuko - wait. That’s not what I meant.” He begins to course correct but it’s too late.

“I think… I just need some air right now.” Zuko is unreceptive to Aang’s plea. 

He grabs his coat and heads for the door. When Zuko opens it to leave, Katara and Sokka are caught frozen on the other side. They have obviously come to check in on the pair but were halted by their shouting. Zuko only acknowledges the two with a glance before walking off.

“I didn’t mean that.” Aang looks to Katara, eyes panicking and craving absolution.

“I know…” She walks over to give him a comforting hug.

“I didn’t want to lose him... I love him.” He continues to explain even though Zuko is long gone.

“I know…” She says again rubbing soothing circles on his back.

Aang sniffs, droplets of tears splattering on the back of his hand.

——

Sokka chases after Zuko while Katara comforts Aang. There is an unspoken understanding between the four of them that his sister is Aang’s confidant while he is Zuko’s. The two walk side by side for a while until they come to the top of one of the capital's massive walls. Zuko sits down, letting his legs dangle off the edge. Sokka wonders if he should be worried given the conversation he just overheard. 

“Can I join you?” Sokka asks.

Zuko shrugs and Sokka takes that as 'yes'. So he sits down by the prince and then stays quiet. He figures Zuko will talk if he wants to, and eventually he does.

“I didn’t have many friends growing up. There weren’t a lot of children at the palace to begin with - being the crown prince made it harder. After mom passed… I was left… alone.” Zuko confesses to the expectant silence. 

Sokka turns and looks at Zuko but the prince is staring at the horizon. Waning sunlight casts the sky a fiery orange to contrast the almost black waters of the ocean. The sunset is reflected in the firebender’s eyes, making those golden irises glow.

“Seeing Aang for the first time was like suddenly remembering a love that has always been. He’s beautiful and joyous and I get to have him… I mean, it was a selfish love - I see that now. 

“But I was so… happy. It’s like his presence healed a wound. Suddenly the pain was gone and the world seemed brighter… perfect even.

“That didn’t last very long though... On our wedding night, I realized as he cried, he would despise me for the rest of his life… and he would be right in doing so. Marrying me is not his choice… I was thrusted upon him - I am his jailer. As much as I want him, I have no power over what he wants… or who he wants.”

Zuko pauses and briefly meets Sokka’s eyes, giving him a sad smile. He looks back at the horizon, only able to speak when he is not trapped in the gaze of another.

“During our first month together we barely spoke a word to each other. We slept in the same bed but were strangers. I watched him… generously interpreting all of his little gestures and glances. It was painful to hope they meant something more… but the alternative was like… like - death.”

There is a long pause before Sokka finally decides to try a few words of comfort.

“When I first met Yue I fell for her instantly. After finding out she’s betrothed to another - I also thought I would love in vain forever. She’s an absolute goddess! How could I possibly prove I’m worthy of her love… But I didn’t let that stop me from trying to earn it. And now here I am - dating a princess. 

“I guess what I’m trying to say is… It might not have started off perfect but Aang loves you, buddy. It’s clear as day. He was besides himself fretting over you when you first got here.”

Zuko considers his words for a moment.

“Aang’s kind. I’ve been a burden on him since we left the palace. We planned an escape… He was supposed to come here alone.”

“Why is that?” Sokka prompts. There is clearly more on the prince’s tongue.

“It would have been a fitting end… he may have remembered me fondly if I died to protect him. But now that I’m here… like this… and he’s free… free to choose someone better…” Zuko trails off, touching the uneven skin of his scar and leaving ‘Katara’ unsaid. 

The fact Sokka practically hears his sister’s name hanging in the air makes him pause before responding with reassurances. It feels disingenuous to dismiss the man’s insecurities outright. The airbender has been getting along with Katara. Their flashy training sessions have made celebrities out of the two. Fans often leave them with comments on how ‘compatible’ they are. While no one said it in Zuko’s presence, Sokka doubts the locals cared enough to protect the prince’s pride or feelings.

Nevertheless, he is also certain that Aang loves Zuko fiercely. The extent he goes to protect and defend the Fire Prince is beyond a sense of duty or obligation. Before Sokka can tell any of this to Zuko the sky has lost its warmth and the first flakes of black snow drifts into view.

The Fire Nation has finally come for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew... that was quite emotional! And hard to write!
> 
> This is probably the chapter I changed the most in editing. It’s important to me that the fight has real emotional justifications and not just a misunderstanding... 
> 
> Zuko is generally not having a good time here, which makes his angst all the more justified. He’s been disfigured, the locals hate him, AND he sees the clear chemistry Aang has with Katara. So yeah, I think even the most mentally healthy person would struggle with this circumstance. Aang on the other hand is trying his best but just not getting through. I think after a while, even the most patient person would get frustrated with Zuko’s sulking.
> 
> The fact that Zuko won’t let himself believe Aang loves him despite all the evidence is really at the core of his character and their relationship. To him, their story should have ended with him sacrificing himself at the Agni Kai - maybe then he’d be worth Aang’s love. I think in many stories (not just fanfic) this is a popular trope because it’s so angsty and ends with a bang. But with this story I want Zuko to grow and learn to receive love.
> 
> There is one throw-away line from the show from after Zuko joins the gaang. They are around a campfire and someone said something nice to him. He responds with ‘I don’t deserve this.’ Basically I took that one line and wrote a ~60k fanfic exploring it HAHA.
> 
> I also try to have Katara as an unwitting point of conflict in their relationship. I have no plans to make her ‘the bad guy’ and have her actively try to come between the two. But I want to preserve some of that connection she had with Aang from the show. Because in another world, where they met first, they did end up together. So yeah, Aang respects her and maybe is a bit attracted to her but is firmly in love with Zuko. 
> 
> But don’t worry - these crazy kids will work it out. As always, thank you for all the lovely comments!! They sustain me. I hope this chapter was... enjoyable?? If a bit sad. I’ll try to write more fluff in the later chapters @o@ they deserve to be happy! AND SO DO YOU (just in case you needed to hear that). MUCH LOVE 💕


	7. Chapter 7

Azula prepares for her solo mission in the privacy of her cabin. Under her dive suit she wears water tribe garments that may be a few seasons out of date but will serve her fine as camouflage. She pays no heed to ropes and weapons. She will have to travel light and she is not planning to take prisoners. 

Azula convinced the conceited admiral Zhao to hold off attacking Agna Qel'a on the account of the moonrise. It is obviously better to begin the siege with the sun overhead, boosting their firebending. So, in an attempt to look diplomatic, they sent a messenger hawk ahead with an ultimatum. The traitors in exchange for peace. But knowing Zhao, peace is an unlikely outcome no matter how their enemies respond. The man has been angling to lead a siege against the Northern Water Tribe for some time. He clearly knows something the rest of them do not, but Azula is not worried. 

Her only mission tonight is to find and eliminate the traitors. Failing to kill the Avatar in his most vulnerable state, Ozai has given her his blessing to end the pest however she sees fit. Even if reincarnated, it will take the new Avatar many years to become a threat. By then it will be too late.

The admiral sees her off, helping her lower her small row boat - well, have his men help her.

“I will send the signal if I need extraction - watch for it. Otherwise, do not attack until first light, admiral.” She reminds him.

“Of course, princess.” He responds with the slightest sardonic lilt.

Once her boat disappears over the dark waters. He motions for his men to follow suit.

——

The water is so frigid it burns her exposed skin like no fire ever has. The rest of her submerged body barely functions, shocked and frightened by the inescapable cold. But Azula quickly regains her senses and pushes pain to the margins of her mind - letting its intensity focus her on the task at hand. 

She swims beneath the icy defenses of the city walls and then pierces her way through frozen ground like a hot needle. Once through, she is rewarded with frozen air to fill her lungs. Azula moves quickly to hide her dive suit before heading for the Water Tribe’s Spirit Oasis.

Her mental map of Agna Qel'a is fresh - having just studied and memorized it on the journey north. She knows the most spiritual place in the city is hidden deep within its walls as an oasis. Azula also knows the Avatar, being a conduit between the physical and spiritual worlds will likely be there - probably meditating on the appropriate response to their ultimatum. The final, and most certain, of her assumptions is that wherever the Avatar is, her brother will be.

She makes her way up the tiered city. It’s canals and streets are blessedly empty but better lit than she’d hoped. A full moon overhead illuminates the uniformly white surfaces of the city, which works to amplify its brightness. Azula feels exposed under the moonlight.

Perhaps this is why the patrol spots her just as she is about to sneak into the Spirit Oasis.

“Young lady, what are you doing out here. This is a restricted area.” Comes the voice of one of the four soldiers.

“To pray.” She lies confidently.

“Well, you can’t go in there. The oasis is off limits to civilians.”

“But the Avatar himself asked for my presence. I know him, you see.” She tests the waters.

“Oh… Well… uh...” 

The soldier’s dithering response is confirmation enough. Azula is about to strike and take the men out before they offer to escort her in.

Once inside she is surprised to find neither the Avatar or Zuko present. Instead there is a young waterbender, on guard. The patrol men seem equally confused.

“Who are you?” The waterbender asks, narrowing her eyes.

Azula elects to demonstrate her true identity rather than announcing it. Using her heel she strikes an arc of blue flame. It topples the four unsuspecting guards with ease. While they are scrambling she overwhelms them with more attacks. Her fire burns them with deadly accuracy - she cannot risk one of them running off to alert others of her presence. 

The waterbender, proficient and quick on her feet comes to their aid before Azula is done but nevertheless is too late to truly help them.

“No!” The waterbender yells as the last man falls limp.

Using a whip made out of water the girl lashes out at Azula. With a full moon overhead the waterbender is powerful and ruthless in her anger. Azula has to admit, she did not expect such strength from a peasant girl.

For the first portion of the fight Azula studies the girl while making herself a slippery target. The Fire Princess relishes in her opponent’s anger, it stabilizes her, calms her. She can see her evasions are fueling more frustration from the waterbender, and it is invigorating.

“You have the honor of fighting the Fire Nation’s princess by the way.” She taunts.

“Did you expect a curtsy? Your fucking highness.” Her opponent’s words drip with acidic vitriol. 

“Maybe later.” She smirks not sure if she wants the curtsy or the fucking in the moment. Too bad the peasant will be dead by the end of this fight.

Once again a tentacle of water grabs at her. This time Azula lets it. Before it can solidify into ice the princess sends a shock of lightning through it. It reaches the waterbender in an instant. She cries out in pain before collapsing to the ground, immobilized. 

The princess advances towards her downed victim before a familiar voice interrupts her.

“Azula” Her name sounds like an accusation coming from her brother.

Azula looks to Zuko who is standing by the collapsed guards at the oasis entrance. She smirks at the turn of events - looks like her job just got easier.

“You are looking remarkably well brother - much better than when I saw you last... I am glad.”

“No you are not.” Zuko says readying himself for a fight.

Azula studies her brother for a moment before deciding to pivot her strategy.

“It doesn’t have to end this way brother. Father has decided to give you a second chance.” She fabricates a truth that would get him on her side, which hopefully will lead both of them to the Avatar’s location.

“You are lying.” There is accusation in Zuko’s response, but not rejection.

“But what if I’m not Zuko… If I’m not then that means you can come home. Be the adored prince you were always meant to be. Be a hero.”

“Ha… more like a traitor to be tried and executed… isn’t that why you are here?”

“Oh… silly brother. Traitor, hero, the distance between those two words is not as great as you think. If you give father what he wants, we can easily exchange one for the other. Just tell me where the Avatar is - I will personally tell father of your great deed. All will be forgiven.”

Katara, lying on the ground, forgotten for now, feels an ache in her chest. Panic sets in as she awaits Zuko’s response.

“Father do not forgive so easily…” Again, there is no rejection.

“Normally I would agree. But he was foolish in love once too… mother, even beyond her grave, is protecting you.”

Azula’s voice has gone soft. Zuko seems to genuinely consider her offer before responding.

“Fine. I’ll tell you where Aang is. We will bring him home together.”

“No Zuko!” Katara pleas.

Having regained some mobility she is trying to stand up - to stop them against all odds.

Zuko briskly makes his way to her before Azula can decide to end the waterbender’s life. He grabs Katara by the hair and shoves her back to the ground. Crouching over Katara’s injured body he strikes her across the face before placing a hand around her neck. 

“Stay down.” He commands but his eyes are pleading with her.

Katara’s heart wants to explode from her chest, fear permeating from every pore. She kicks her legs trying to buck him off of her, but his weight is too great. Her mind goes blank as Zuko strangles the air out of her.

\----

Aang wanders the swamps of the Spirit World. Time seems abstract in this place of perpetual dawn. Dim sunlight filters through the canopy above him, casting his surroundings in a sepia hue. The trees around Aang resemble those of his world but nevertheless alien. Their barks are oddly textured and their leaves rustle as if having a life of their own. He imagines the musky scent of rotting vegetation in still water but there is no air in his lungs. His body is not corporeal here... He feels faint, like an echo in this strange world. 

Aang gapes in wonder of the Spirit World while trying not to explore the tinge of fear prickling his mind. He is here on a mission and he needs to stay focused. The water tribe scouts have reported almost a hundred warships closing in on their shores. Knowing the Fire Nation's true motives, the elders have concluded fighting is the only real option for survival. Now Aang must do his part as the Avatar, and seek help from the spirits of the moon and ocean. 

But the world is vast and he is making no progress. His attempts in communicating with the spirits have been met with apathy and confusion. Few speak to him, and when they do so it is only to shoo him away.

He feels like he is wasting time. It is hard to keep track how long he has been here, his only measure being the sense of urgency and mounting frustration. Perhaps this is why his past life Roku appears to him.

“Aang.” The voice behind him says.

Aang spins around to see a regal Fire Nation elder standing in the swamp behind him. His fancy dress is submerged in the yellow water. Yet he is unbothered. The man’s long white hair is knotted neatly on his crown like how Zuko wears his. The elder strikes him as familiar but Aang does not immediately place him.

“I am Roku, your past life.” 

Recognition hits Aang like lightning. He has seen a statue of Roku in the Southern Air Temple, but has never made a connection like this before.

”Roku! It’s so good to finally speak to you! I am here looking for the ocean and moon spirits - the Fire Nation is about to attack the Northern Water Tribe and I am afraid I won’t be enough without the aid of the spirits. Please, can you help me?”

Aang dumps the information on his past life, propelled by the urgency he feels.

“Aang, to end the war you will need to win more than this one battle. You need to master all the elements and the Avatar State.” Roku informs him as if he is the principal of Avatar school, with a pupil count of one.

“I know… but I don’t have time for that before the Fire Nation attacks… Please, do you know where I can find the spirits?” Aang tries again.

Roku pauses for a moment before replying, this time answering his question.

“The moon and ocean spirits crossed over to the mortal world near the beginning of time. The only spirit old enough to know their identities would be Koh - the face stealer. But you must be careful if you go to him for answers. If you show any emotion in his presence he will steal your face.”

Roku leads the way to Koh’s layer while imparting much needed wisdom onto the young Avatar. Aang follows dutifully.

“There is a guru waiting for you at the Easter Air Temple - he will help you master the Avatar State.”

“The Eastern Air Temple? But it’s been abandoned since the start of the war.”

“Precisely. The journey will be risky, but once there you will not be disturbed.”

“Okay… Zuko and I will go there after we help the water tribe in the battle.”

At the sound of Zuko’s name Roku’s spirit seems to falter. He halts in his steps.

“What’s wrong Roku?” Aang asks.

“I never did get to meet my grandson…”

Aang also stops in his tracks, rooted to the spot.

“What?” The question escapes him in a whisper. 

“I suppose much of what happened has been struck from the records… My attempts to protect Ursa has only made her true identity easier to conceal… Perhaps it’s time for you to know how the war started, for it is as much as Sozin’s legacy as it is my failure…”

Aang listens as Roku recounts his friendship with the previous Fire Lord and how Sozin’s ambition led to its deterioration. The warnings Roku gave his old friend only made Sozin continue his war plans in secret. Until finally, it all led to an arranged marriage. The people thought of Ursa as a lucky village girl who struck gold by being plucked by the prince. But in reality she is simply collateral being used against the Avatar.

Roku had sent his daughter away for protection, but Sozin, with his unlimited resources, found her. And before Roku could intervene she was wedded to Ozai. For two years Roku fretted from afar, unable to stop the embers of war while fearing for his daughter’s safety. So when the volcanic island of his home erupted Roku stayed to fight its overpowering might despite his wife’s pleas. He was old and not the Avatar he used to be. They both knew he would be consumed by its plumes.

In his final breaths, Roku lashed out at the mountain as if it is fate made corporeal. He cursed it for giving him Sozin’s friendship and then betrayal, for his daughter’s cruel marriage, and for his own inability to affect change. 

“The only solace I had when Fang curled around me, both of us dying, is the hope that I will do better in the next life.” Roku concludes his retelling to Aang.

The airbender meets his predecessor’s eyes and sees the well of emotion in turbulent amber.

“I… don’t know what to say.” Aang tries to digest all that’s been told to him.

“Say nothing… do what I was too weak to do and end Sozin’s bloodline… including Zuko.”

Chills run down Aang’s spine at those words. “What?! How can you say that?! He’s your own grandson!”

“He is as much my blood as he is Sozin’s. To have lasting peace you cannot risk Zuko turning into his grandfather. As you now know, Sozin was not born a tyrant… people change.”

“Yes, but they can also change for the better!” Aang pleas Zuko’s case.

“I can see my relationship with Sozin has left an imprint on your spirits… I can feel the strong connection you have with him. But you must fight it.”

“I cannot… I love him.” Aang is somber now.

“Then you too will fail in bringing peace.”

——

“You are not really taking me to the Avatar are you, Zuzu.” It’s not a question, but a deflated fact.

Azula’s observation halts Zuko in his steps. The two of them are standing by the grand canal of Agna Qel’a. Sounds of trickling water normally obscured by the bustling city are now clearly audible over the tense silence between them.

“No.” Zuko confesses, turning to face his sister.

“Where are we going then?”

“Here… I’ve always wanted to see these canals.”

Within a second Azula has him pinned to the wall, her hairpin weaponized, pressing firmly against his jugular. Zuko does little to resist her.

“You fucking idiot… How has the crown prince of the Fire Nation become such a loyal dog to a peasant monk. You could have had it all. Yet time and time again you throw away what’s been handed to you on a platter. You stupid -” 

Azula is truly angry, and it is not something Zuko sees often. There is something unhinged about it. Her loose locks only work to exaggerate her madness.

“I’m sorry Azula…” He cuts off her rant.

“What for?” She spits.

“For not being a better big brother to you... I should have protected you from him.”

“Ha!” She barks. “You… protecting me? Have you gone insane? I am more powerful and respected than you‘lol ever be.”

“I should have cared for you more… not leaving you so alone… loved you more - like how mom -“

“Don’t you bring up that bitch.” It’s her turn to cut him off.

The harshness of her words strike Zuko like a physical blow. But Azula is close enough for him to see the tears glazing her eyes. 

He knows she always felt inadequate in the eyes of their mother. But it didn’t mean Ursa loved her any less.

“She loved you Azula… so do I. I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing!” She nearly screams, pressing her hair pin like a dagger against his throat, its sharp tip drawing blood.

“I know dad wasn’t going to forgive me… It’s okay Azula… do what you have to with me… but let Aang be.”

“You know I can’t do that.” 

It’s not a threat but a resignation. For the first time in a long time Zuko can sense fear in Azula.

He is about to reason with her more when the moon turns blood red. And after a heartbeat it dims to blackness, draining the world of color.

——

Azula looks at the red moon and instantly knows it is Zhao’s doing. She turns her gaze back to her brother who looks at her with sad desperation. And then the world turns dark.

“Argh!” She slams an angry fist of blue flame into the wall next to Zuko’s head.

“Why are men so bad at following orders!”

She thinks about jamming her hairpin into her brother and then carrying his body back to one of the ships. This way Ozai may consider her mission only a partial failure. With any luck the siege will kill the Avatar in the process.

But her body does not carry through with her plans. Instead it lets the hair pin slip from her fingers and she hears it drop into the snow.

Against her better judgement, she leaves Zuko in the dark. The warmth of his skin stays with her as Azula retreats back towards the ships.

With admiral Zhao gone rogue, someone needs to command the vessels. Her instincts are proven correct when a gargantuan glowing monster emerges from the waters… made of the ocean itself, the spirit carries the wrath of storming seas and crashing waves. And it unleashes all of its fury onto the Fire Nation ships.

——

Zuko watches the towering spirit as it wades toward the Fire Nation fleet. Aang is merged with it as if he is its heart. He is glowing and in a trance, moving like a marionette within the liquid body of the spirit. They move in sync to block the fiery projectiles aimed at them and punishes the attacking ships ten folds. 

The spirit’s powers are unparalleled. It makes easy work out of a few dozen war ships before the rest of the fleet begins its retreat. Water tribe soldiers flood the streets, canals, and walls carrying torches to light their way. However they find very little to do but to watch the spectacle.

By now Zuko has followed the glowing spirit to the outer wall of Agna Qel’a. It is going after the fleeing ships until, without fanfare and all at once, the moonlight returns. Just like that colour seeps back into the world like a breath of fresh air.

The spirit turns towards the city and regards the moon above it. Then it sends one final tidal wave against the vanishing vessels before returning home. It’s ancient eyes seem to spot Zuko standing on the massive icy wall before it phases through it, dissolving back into the canals and leaving the borrowed Avatar behind. 

Zuko runs to Aang and collects the unconscious monk in his arms. Aang feels cold to the touch and he is soaking wet. Quickly Zuko removes his coat and wraps it around the airbender while pressing the frozen body to his.

“Come on Aang… wake up…” 

As if obeying a command the Avatar’s eyes crack open, no longer glowing like earlier.

“Zuko?” Aang’s voice is weak.

“Yeah… I’m here.” Zuko responds, cupping a hand on his cold cheeks.

“I was worried… that you left… I’m sorry for what I said… I -” The airbender pauses for breath.

“Shhh… I know… I’m not leaving you my dearest.” The endearment comes naturally, but the guilt Zuko feels is palpable as he tries to push his exchange with Azula out of mind. 

He holds Aang close and kisses his forehead. Thankful that the battle is over Zuko thinks it is by some miracle that they both escaped intact.

He is carrying Aang to the healers when the soldiers stop them midway. Seeing the group of ten angry men, Zuko lowers the now much more conscious Anag so he can stand on his own. Out of habit, he puts himself slightly in front of the airbender like a shield.

“Prince Zuko, you are under arrest for conspiracy against the Northern Water Tribe and attempted murder of one miss Katara.” A soldier lists his crimes.

Aang gasps audibly next to him. Zuko’s instinct to defend himself quickly gives way to reality, realizing how guilty his actions look. So instead he only makes his case to Aang. It’s important to Zuko that his husband knows where his heart lies.

“I can explain Aang… It’s not what it seems. I did it to protect her.”

But their time together is short. The soldiers already have him in their grasp, binding his arms behind his back as he speaks to Aang. The next thing Zuko knows he is dragged away. The airbender’s expression is one of heartbreak.

——

“You have to understand Avatar, the princess is dead and the people are out for blood. They want retribution. While the Fire Nation’s attack did not last long, it caused damages and there were… casualties.” 

It is master Pakku who explains this to Aang before the trial. This is to be somewhat of a public one, an exception made to quell public unrest. As such a few witnesses and civilians are allowed into the council chamber. 

Aang is seated next to Pakku with Sokka as they await the start of the proceedings. He has not been allowed to see Zuko since the end of the battle. The intervening three days have been a whirlwind for Aang filled with war meetings and funerals. Every free moment Aang has he spends turning the events of that night over in his mind, fearing any legitimacy they may bring to the charges against Zuko. 

Roku’s warning reminds Aang of what Azula said to him all those months ago - how Zuko’s control over his passions is prone to slipping. Could it be? That in a moment of jealousy or confusion he tried to kill Katara? And what did Zuko mean by saying he did it to protect her?

Katara remains unconscious in the healing pools of the infirmary. The burns on her body have mostly disappeared but her mind has not returned. It is hard to believe this is the result of Zuko protecting her.

Meanwhile Sokka has barely spoken ten words since Yue’s sacrifice for the moon spirit. He spends the days watching over Katara in silence, rejecting all forms of comfort. Aang’s attempts at levity have not been well received. So the airbender has left his friend to his solitude, hoping the space will do him good.

A hush falls over the council chamber as its doors open to reveal the much maligned defendant. Zuko, led in chains, quickly becomes the focal point of everyone’s gaze. Aang studies his husband. His expression is stoic and stately. But on the whole Zuko looks sickly and vulnerable despite his best efforts. He is a shadow of the proud prince striding along from meeting to meeting in the Fire Nation palace. Now his steps are limited by the chains around his ankles, making his movements timid and awkward. The metal cuffs have frozen and rotted the skin they so tightly bind. Aang can see angry red marks eating away at Zuko on his neck and wrists. The firebender’s cheeks are hollowing out again, losing the little weight he’s put back on during his recovery.

The disgraced prince’s presence signals the start of the trial. And so the council calls their first witness - Aang.

“Avatar, please recount to this council what happened on the night of the Fire Nation siege.”

“I entered the Spirit World by meditating in the Spirit Oasis. As we planned I went to look for the moon and ocean spirits, hoping they would help us in the battle. Katara was there guarding my body while my spirit was away.”

“And where was Prince Zuko during this time?”

“I don’t know…”

“Is it true you had a fight with the prince prior to the siege?”

Aang is caught off guard by the personal question and hesitates a moment before responding.

“Yes, it’s personal in nature.”

“Is it true that your marriage has been fractured since you arrived in Agna Qel’a?”

Again Aang hesitates, starting to truly dislike this line of questioning.

“No more so than any other marriage when one party is recovering from a life threatening injury.” He answers as neutrally as possible.

“Is it true that rumors of your relationship with Katara has led to jealous outbursts from your husband?”

“Enough!” Aang snaps. “Either ask me about the battle or let me leave. Stay out of our personal lives.”

He must have looked angry when his eyes find Zuko in the stands, the prince adverts his gaze as if struck by Aang.

“Okay, calm down Avatar Aang. Let’s move on for now. Please tell us about what you saw once back from the Spirit World.”

“I saw Katara unconscious and injured. There were four guards also unconscious nearby - burned. And my body was moved. At first I thought the Fire Nation took it, but that didn’t feel right. It felt… close. So I looked around the oasis and found it hidden in the foliage. After I returned to my body I rushed Katara to the infirmary and sounded the alarm on the attack… I shouldn’t have left the oasis… I wasn’t there to protect the moon spirit… By the time I got back it was too late.”

Aang looks up at Sokka, feeling guilty and desperate. Sokka’s sad eyes only punishes him more. Again, the loss of Yue crashes onto him like a tidal wave, leaving him spinning in grief.

After a few more questions for Aang the council calls another witness. He is one of the patrolmen injured in the attack. Bandages cover his entire body which impede his movement. The man is wheeled in front of the council for questioning.

“Please Atook, tell us what you saw that night.”

“We were out patrolling the usual route when we spotted her… uh… Princess Azula as it turns out. She was wearing water tribe clothes and we were all a bit confused as to why someone would go to the oasis so late. When we questioned her, she said she knows the Avatar and he asked for her… so we agreed to escort her in…”

The man pauses for breaths… his burns still fresh and painful, making his speech labored.

“Then she attacked us… I couldn’t move. Katara tried to help us but the Fire Princess was too fast. I could do nothing but watch… For a moment it looked like Katara had her… but then she - Katara - just dropped to the ground - that’s when  _ he _ showed up.”

The man rests again, clearly worked up by his own mention of Zuko.

“Please Atook. You are not to blame... Do continue.”

“The Fire Princess told him how his father is willing to forgive him if he hands over the Avatar… that he can return home a hero. He just… agreed, without a fight. I watched him walk over and… and… he threw Katara to the ground and then strangled her… I watched it happen… I couldn’t do anything to stop it.”

Tears are now rolling down Atook’s puffy cheeks. Aang looks over to Sokka again, who’s knuckles have turned white by the firmness of his grip on the chair. He stares down Zuko with as much hate as hurt, all of which have been ruminating inside of him for the past three days. Aang follows Sokka’s gaze to Zuko, who’s expression can only be described as guilty.

——

_ Katara wonders if she should say something to the brooding Fire Prince. He found her guarding Aang’s body at the oasis a while ago and they have been sitting in silence ever since. Aang is in the Spirit World looking for the ocean and moon spirits, leaving his body vulnerable. She has agreed to look after him seeing how Zuko had vanished after their arugment. _

_ She can sense the tension between them. Rumors are a caustic thing. So far she has ignored them, thinking it best to not give them validity by reacting. But clearly the rumors have made their way to Zuko’s ear and are eating away at the man. Katara rakes her brain for a tactful way of assuring Zuko while not making the man uncomfortable… so far she’s got nothing. _

_ “Something’s wrong.” Zuko suddenly breaks their silence. _

_ “Huh?” She’s snapped back to the present by his voice.  _

_ “The ships… they are too close for a blockade… someone is coming… and they are coming for Aang.” Zuko deduces while looking onto the horizon. _

_ “We should move him to the palace.” She believes him without reservation and works to find a solution. _

_ “Aang won’t be able to find his way back if we move him too far. You should take him and hide.” _

_ “And what will you do?” _

_ “Whoever’s coming is looking for me too. I’ll face them here.” _

_ “I would say that’s a reason for you not to be here when they arrive. You should take Aang. I’ll hold them off.” _

_ Zuko looks at her for a moment, slightly confused, maybe impressed. _

_ “You’d do that for us?” _

_ “Of course Zuko, we are friends… Aang too... just friends.” She adds clumsily. _

_ “Thanks Katara.” She thinks he might have smiled at her just then. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okayyyyy here we go...
> 
> Sorry for the lag in update - I just moved to the UK! Starting a new job irl - will cause some delays in future updates unfortunately =[ BUT i do have the rest of the story outlined, so chances of me finishing this bad boy is higher than usual. (I have a tendency of not finishing fics ^.^;) As always your comments are fuel in my tank <3 I’m glad to be breaking so many hearts...? Haha
> 
> Oh this chapter kinda got away from me. I drafted a happy ending but it got thrown out when I needed a reason for Aang to find Guru Pathik on his own...I’m sorry for kicking Zuko while he’s down... poor bb has unintentionally become the punching bag of this fic... I’ll see if I can fix this...^.^;;
> 
> I winged that bit with Roku. Really like how it turned out. Love the parallel between Ursa’s marriage to Zuko’s. 
> 
> The premise of this chapter is really like one of those movies where you get everyone’s incomplete POV of an event and then piece it all together in the end. I hope I was successful in making the story coherent!
> 
> Basically Zuko hid Aang in some shrubs. Upon realizing Azula will kill Katara he snuck around to the entrance of the oasis to stop her.
> 
> There is so much Plot to get through and I just don’t have time to make the writing super polished. It does read like a wiki synopsis sometimes HAHA - apologies.
> 
> Anyway - I’ll try to write more while quarantined in the UK. Thank you for reading my dears!!! <3


	8. Chapter 8

_ Zuko is back in the red palace halls of the Fire Nation. His eager feet carry him swiftly through its labyrinth, towards home. Once there he dismisses the guards and heads to the garden. Aang is there, waiting for him. The normalcy of this sunny day lights a quiet joy inside Zuko. Aang smiles when spotting him and Zuko could not help but respond in kind. Blink, and he’s by the airbender’s side. Aang puts a hand on his unblemished face and pulls in for a kiss. _

_ They have snuck out stargazing again. There are no recollections of moments preceding this one. He’s simply here, been here... lying on the slanted roof next to Aang. It is a precarious position but his muscles remember how to keep the balance… Aang is speaking to him, he is just now realizing. _

_ “...Once you master meditation we can go together.” _

_ “Hmm? Go where?” _

_ Aang answers his question, slightly annoyed at Zuko’s inattentiveness. But Zuko, try as he might, cannot make out the airbender’s words.  _

_ “Zuko… Zuko… you’ve fallen asleep again.” _

_ He’s waking up to Aang’s amused voice. Zuko’s whole being is stiff and his mind groggy, but he is aware enough to feel the airbender’s body against his. Chasing the man’s scent he burrows into Aang’s embrace and only hums in response. _

_ “I did warn you not to get too comfortable when meditating… I should let you fall and bang your head one day, that’ll teach you.” _

_ Aang’s voice is soft. Zuko can feel the monk playing with his hair as the rising sun warms the air around them. Without even opening his eyes he can see the garden… their garden… brighten with daylight. _

_ “But you didn’t… you caught me. I knew you would.” Zuko murmurs into Aang’s robes, stealing a few more moments with his airbender before the day ushers him onto the stage of courtly life. _

Zuko wakes and, in an instant, the warmth is gone. For a few moments, his soul remains buoyant in that warm illusion… until, finally, the weight of recent events becomes too heavy to ignore and he is sent crashing.

——

Aang feels Zuko stir in his arms before the prince wakes. Those golden eyes blink open and stare into the middle distance. A placid smile stretches across his cracked lips but the expression quickly fades when whatever sweet dream he came from grows cold in wakefulness. 

Zuko’s eyes focus and his body jerks with fright.

“Shh… you are alright.” Aang comforts his husband, brushing a hand over his brow and into dark locks. 

Dried sweat from last night’s feverish dreams leave strands of hair crusted to Zuko’s forehead. The fever had taken hold of his body during the days leading up to the trial. The cold cell had no fire to warm his bones and Zuko was offered little food to sustain his health. When he finally stepped in front of the council, unsteady in his gait, they bore him little consideration. 

Throughout the trial Aang watched as his husband wither in front of him, unable to intervene. He had pleaded with the council to allow him access to the prince but they remained steadfast in trial procedures and traditions. It took the firebender almost dying from illness to get the elders to concede.

Zuko collapsing during the proceedings was a dramatic turn for the trial. Aang had leapt to his side and has not left since then.

This is how Aang finds himself sitting in bed cradling his husband. During their days of flying - fleeing - from the Fire Nation Aang developed an anxiety of losing Zuko. Nights without the firebender sharing his bed are often plagued with bad dreams. Now Aang is soothed by Zuko’s weight pressing against him, solid in his arms.

“Aang…?” Zuko is looking up at him now.

The gold of his iris is faded by illness almost matching the paleness of his face. There is a brief expression of confusion before it melts into unadulterated joy. A toothy smile pushes his cheeks up, crinkling his eyes. Tears gather at each corner - his entire being is radiating with hope. 

This catches Aang by surprise, for he’s seldom seen Zuko smile so unabashedly… so wild and emotional. Before the airbender can respond Zuko puts a hand on his cheek and says, in a raspy voice, the words that breaks Aang’s heart.

“You feel so real today my love.”

The airbender holds his breath as realization washes over him. How many times did Zuko call for him while delirious with fever, thinking Aang answered when in fact he’d been alone in a cell. Or worse… how many times did he get nothing in return, thinking Aang had abandoned him?

Zuko presses his nose to Aang’s collar and inhales. Upon exhale the firebender’s entire body shakes. Aang is speechless, afraid to break the spell over Zuko.

“Aang… have I lost you already? I’m not ready… please love… I’m not ready yet. Stay a bit longer… with me… like how we were.”

The whispered words are so quiet, Aang barely catches them. He can bear no more of this and responds.

“I’m here, Zuko… I’m really here.”

Aang wraps his arms tighter around Zuko’s frame, placing a kiss on his hair and then another and another, as if they can communicate a truth that words cannot reach. When he finally kisses Zuko softly on the lips the prince looks stunned.

“I’m sorry it took me so long.”

A faint blush appears on Zuko’s cheeks before the prince averts his eyes, embarrassed. He puts a hand on the airbender’s arm, feeling the rough fabric of Aang’s tunic and the warm muscles beneath.

“I thought my mind was playing tricks on me again…” Zuko mumbles eventually.

“No tricks today, turtleduck… here, have some water...”

Zuko will never get used to Aang mothering him but after their journey north, this is no longer an unfamiliar scene. He obeys and drinks the water held out for him, relishing Aang’s body heat. 

“Where are we?” He asks, taking in the room that is decidedly not his cell.

“This is a converted guard tower. We’ve been here for two days now… The council agreed to let you recover here.”

“Didn’t know they cared.”  _ Didn’t know you cared _ , he wanted to add, but knows it is a spiteful thing to say… Aang had said ‘we’. But Zuko has no memories of the last two days.

“I’m sorry Zuko…” Aang sounds penitent.

If the fever hasn’t left him so exhausted, Zuko might have followed the trail of indignation paved by the slanderous trial and Aang’s absence until now. But when one has just escaped death’s door, perspective is his parting gift. He can’t deny that Aang’s loving embrace feels a lot better than picking a fight over wounded pride.

“M’kay…” Zuko burrows into the airbender, a small part of him still convinced this is an elaborate fever dream.

Neither of them speak for a while after that. But it’s a comfortable silence. Aang is running a hand through his hair absentmindedly like he has a habit of doing. Zuko doesn’t want to interrupt the moment but the question spills out of him as if having a will of its own.

“Did you believe them? That I would trade you for my honor… or my crown?” 

Aang stills and draws in a long breath. He holds it for a beat before letting go and responds.

“You sacrificed everything to get me here… I love you because I know you, Zuko. You wouldn’t do something like that. You are too honorable.”

Aang’s reassurance doesn’t quell his anxious mind so he keeps speaking.

“But I was angry… and jealous… We had just fought... The way you looked at me during the trial - I thought… I thought that’s why you didn’t come… I thought you’d leave me to rot in that cell.”

“You’ve always had so little faith in me…” Aang sounds defeated.

It’s jarring to hear that from Aang. Zuko always thought a tenet of their relationship is his unwavering faith in Aang - faith in Aang’s goodness and the magnitude of it. So much faith it borders on worship. Perhaps that is why he’s never felt worthy.

He doesn’t prod Aang further. Zuko wants to ask about Katara but is afraid of the answer. As if reading his mind, Aang tells him anyway.

“She woke up yesterday by the way - Katara. Her voice is a bit rough right now, but she’ll make a full recovery… And before you ask... and she doesn’t blame you, Zuko… She told the council what happened and I testified to Azula’s nature. We believe you were only trying to save her life...”

Zuko is relieved. There was so much fear in Katara’s eyes he was sure there’s no coming back from it… 

“With Katara’s testimony the whole mess should be sorted soon… After you are well enough to travel we’ll leave. We will go somewhere safe… maybe end up in one of those northern Earth Kingdom villages you talked about… lay low for a while.”

With a gasp of inspiration, Aang adds, “We can go ride the elephant koi when they migrate north!”

The mood has lightened and Zuko couldn’t help but counter Aang’s enthusiasm. 

“Your definition of laying low is riding giant fish that only migrates north once every seven years?”

Their conversation is hopeful but both know it won’t come to fruition. The council has not been kind to Zuko so far, the public even less so. If by some miracle Zuko is cleared of his charges, there is still so much they need to do before the comet. 

The weight of the world is on Aang’s shoulders and he can’t simply run away.

“In the trial… you said there is a guru waiting for you at the Eastern Air Temple… It’s been over a week… shouldn’t you go to him soon?” 

Guilt flashes across Aang’s face, “Yeah… I do need to do that... But I couldn’t just leave you here.”

For once Zuko doesn’t resist the gravity of Aang’s care. He still feels a bit foolish and selfish for taking it but a grateful silence falls over him. The airbender has started raking fingers through his hair again, and soon he is lulled to sleep.

——

“The Fire Nation siege has left an irreparable scar on this tribe. Much of what happened that night is still shrouded in mystery. And you, Prince Zuko, was at the center of the chaos. After hearing your account of events and Miss Katara’s testimony, we, the council, believe your actions stemmed from noble intentions.” Chief Arnook deliberates solemnly to the crowded council chamber. 

Aang knows what’s coming, but it doesn’t stop his stomach from dropping when the chief continues.

“However, this does not negate the harm you caused Miss Katara. Furthermore, your inaction against the Fire Nation forces led to the destruction of the moon spirit. It is only through Princess Yue’s sacrifice… that the world is able to regain order and balance.”

At the mention of his daughter the chief falters. He clears his throat and carries on.

“With careful deliberation the Council of Elders has found you, Prince Zuko, guilty of willful negligence to preserve the peace. We sentence you to three months in confinement.”

The room erupts in jeers and cheers. Some are discontent with the light sentence, others just happy to see the villain punished. 

Zuko’s expression is inscrutable as it has been throughout the entire trial. He says nothing and looks at no one when guards lead him away. Aang can only follow the firebender with his gaze. 

Katara is next to him. She puts a comforting hand on his. The airbender smiles at her before looking past her shoulder to find Sokka, who is just as impassive as the prince being led away.

——

_ Aang stands before the council and berates them over their callous and cowardly stance. It is plain to see they are using Zuko as a scapegoat. The old men try to explain how this is politics, how the public needs to see something happen, how they can’t just let the prince off the hook. But Aang hears none of it.  _

_ He rushes back to Zuko and explains what happened and what’s going to happen. He’s had enough of the politics of the water tribe and he is ready to steal his husband away from this place. They’ll fly away on Appa - if they can escape the Fire Nation, they can escape here too. _

_ “Well?” Aang asks, chest still huffing from his tirade and erratic pacing. _

_ Zuko studies the airbender’s flustered face and says nothing. He gets up and goes to Aang, placing one hand on the airbender’s waist and the other at the nape of his neck. Zuko feels the airbender’s muscles relax before pulling in for a kiss.  _

_ “You are not coming, are you?” Aang asks after they break away. His chin now rests on Zuko’s shoulder. _

_ “No…” _

_ “We don’t have to play their games, Zuko. We can run.” _

_ “But we do, Aang.” Zuko pulls back and looks into the cloudy grey of Aang’s eyes. _

_ “We are at war, my love... and wars are not won by a single person, even if they are the Avatar. You need allies. And the Northern Water Tribe is the only free city left in the world. You can’t alienate them… and you can’t abandon them.” _

_ While Aang knows the battle field well, it is Zuko who studied war maps. Out of the two of them only Zuko knows the full weight of war - of troop mobilizations, logistics, and supply trains. Aang sighs, relenting. _

_ “But it’s three months… we don’t have the time… I still need to learn earth bending… not to mention this guru I’m supposed to find…” _

_ “No, you don’t have the time, which is why you can’t stay.” _

_ “What?! No, Zuko. I’m not leaving you!” _

_ Zuko smiles at that. All he’s ever wanted is to have Aang stay by his side. But now, duty calls for patience. _

_ “We won’t be apart forever. Send for me in three months time, and I’ll come find you - wherever you are… I promise.” _

——

After the trial is concluded Aang finds Zuko in his tower cell. This is Aang’s last night in the Northern Water Tribe and he’s not going to ask for permission to spend it with his husband. It’s not a tall tower by any means - easily scalable for an airbender.

When he pops through the window Zuko simply looks up from the book he is reading and raises a brow, not in the least surprised.

“Show off…”

Aang only grins at the remark. He takes the few steps necessary to flop onto their bed before pressing a kiss on his firebender’s cheek.

“Here, I brought you a few more... to keep you entertained while I’m away.” Aang digs out a couple of flimsily bound paperbacks he had tucked away in his waistband. 

Zuko shuffles through them, studying the titles.

“Is this… Love Amongst the Dragons?” Zuko’s eyes light up a little.

“Yep… some water tribe theater nerd transcribed the play before the war… there may be a few pages missing… I couldn’t find a better copy I’m afraid.”

Zuko is smiling now. “First of all… do not disparage those fine patrons of the arts and secondly… this is perfect - thank you.”

The airbender is rewarded with a long kiss and soon Aang finds himself being pushed down into the bed. With their lips locked the two scramble to move the fragile books off their bed. Once that is done Aang wastes no time to flip on top of Zuko, straddling the man. He doesn’t protest, letting Aang pin him. The airbender proceeds to devour him like a feast.

“Are you well enough for this…?” Aang huffs in between sloppy kisses. 

The fever is gone but Aang still treats Zuko like he may break at every turn.

“Aang, you are not about to leave me here for three months without at least fucking me goodbye.”

“I’ll take that as a yes…” A sly smile appears on the airbender’s lips before he descends on Zuko again.

They continue to make out during their various stages of undress. There is no shyness or awe when they see each other naked anymore. Their bodies have become a commonplace but loved refuge for the other. Zuko spreads his legs for Aang, who eagerly takes him. It feels so good to have that familiar length inside him again. 

What starts off as languid thrusts quickly picks up, friction and heat swelling between their bodies. Grunts catch in Zuko’s throat and he instinctively braces against the icy wall to give Aang more leverage. The rhythm of their love making is well practiced. But that does not dull the crescendo of pleasure when it crashes over them. Zuko is so overwhelmed by orgasm he almost misses the flash of blue when Aang follows suit.

They spend the rest of the evening in bed - there aren’t many other options in Zuko’s humble cell. Between sessions of sex they talk about happy things and plans for a distant, but hopeful future. One particularly inspired moment leads to Aang quizzing Zuko with their copy of Love Amongst the Dragons. The Avatar would dole out kisses to reward correctly recited lines. 

“Let’s make a promise to each other that wherever we end up next… neither of us will land in prison again?” Aang murmurs while resting his head on Zuko’s shoulder, breaking the lull of their post-coital come down.

“Well technically, you were never in ‘prison’ at the palace.” Zuko is being trite and he knows it.

“Fine, how about this then… Can you promise me you’ll stop sacrificing yourself every chance you get?”

The firebender stiffens a little at the question. He decides to play dumb for now, thankful he is not facing Aang.

“I don’t know what you mean...”

“You were going with Azula… not for your crown or for glory… you knew you were surrendering to your own execution - just like the Agni Kai… Am I wrong?” 

There is an edge to Aang’s tempered speech. When he doesn’t answer the airbender continues, “I don’t want you to do this ever again... Please promise me you won’t do it again.”

Aang’s voice fades, but the request rings loud in Zuko’s ears.

“I can’t promise you that, Aang.”

“Zuko… look at me.”

He obeys like a scolded child and turns to face Aang.

“You are so important to me, Zuko. I can’t lose you - I need you… So would you please stop jumping on every sword that presents itself…?”

Zuko looks into Aang’s sad eyes and lets out a long sigh. His heart hurts a little, but he is also oddly pleased by Aang’s confession.

“You talk as if I have a death wish, but in reality I had no choice... You say I’m important to you but you are important to the world… They  _ need _ you. I mean - that’s not even the reason I would die a thousand times to protect you - I do that because I love you… Having said that, it does give me the moral high ground in this argument.”

Aang sees the smug smirk creeping onto Zuko’s face for what it is - a performance. And he doesn’t take the bait.

“But you don’t have a thousand lives to give! Look at what those choices have done to you Zuko? It fucking kills me to see you like this… Please…”

Aang is out of words. His fingers trace over the burn marks radiating from Zuko’s chest, eyes watering. Zuko sighs again.

“Nothing is guaranteed in war my love. I wish I can promise you a happy ending, but I can’t… If the spirits are kind, we’ll find our way back to each other one way or another, in this world or the next… like you taught me.”

“But if I lose you… I’ll never sleep again.” Aang sniffs.

“And why’s that?” Zuko asks, bemused.

So Aang tells him about the nightmares and about his need to feel Zuko’s warm body. Maybe it’s his dramatic retelling or maybe it’s the absurdity of his predicament but Zuko only chuckles at his woes. Before he’s done the prince is already untying the red silk from his hair.

“Here… take this with you tomorrow. Maybe it’ll help with the journey.”

Aang looks at the fine silk ribbon he’s just been handed. It’s the only thing left of Zuko’s life before exile, his only reminder of home. 

“Are you sure?”

“Nothing to be unsure about.” 

Zuko helps Aang wrap the ribbon a few times around his wrist then ties it in place. After that is done the prince puts his lips to it as if blessing the token with a kiss.

“Now get some quality sleep while I’m still near.” Zuko whispers in Aang’s ear. With a flick of his wrist the oil lamp succumbs to darkness. 

The Avatar sleeps soundly that night.

——

Sokka is wandering the deserted streets of Agna Qel’a at midnight. His only company is the moon above. It hangs bright on the black sky, round and pale, but its light brings no warmth to Sokka. It’s been a month since Yue vanished in his arms and he is still raw from the loss. 

On the first few nights after the siege he would stay up talking to the sky, hoping she was watching, hoping she’d answer. But after a week of their one sided conversations, Sokka knows he’s been a fool. But knowing doesn’t mean accepting. He still seeks her company when insomnia keeps him up at night. 

Tonight, the first full moon since Yue’s sacrifice watches over Sokka as he quietly marks the occasion with his solitary walk. Without realizing it, his feet have taken him far from the apartments and towards the city’s prison block. Sokka briefly questions his subconscious before he spots the figure perched on the window sill of a dilapidated guard tower. Sokka halts in his step and watches the man who is watching the moon.

He knows it’s Zuko before he can make out the scar. The moonlight spotlights the prince in his tower like an actor on stage. There is a quiet dignity to Zuko, even his tattered prison garb cannot rid him of it.

This is the first time Sokka is seeing the prince since the trial. He had been angry at Zuko then. Even when the truth came out, when he knew Katara’s going to be alright, his hurt and anger prevented Sokka from visiting the firebender. A part of Sokka is still afraid those emotions would come back upon seeing his former friend. 

Now that he’s standing in front of the prison gates, Sokka thinks it’s finally time to make amends. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delayed update folks. I had to split the chapter again because it was getting too long... thought I’d post at least half of it rather than keep you waiting lol.
> 
> I hope you are still enjoying it - please comment if you like/dislike any part of the story! I enjoy reading all your comments and predictions =]


	9. Chapter 9

The unobstructed moon light is making sleep impossible for Zuko tonight. It is as if she is asking for his company. So he obliges. 

Perhaps it’s also his conscience that is keeping him awake - Zuko looks to his silent companion and thinks about the tragedy of Yue’s sacrifice. If he had stayed at the oasis maybe he could have stopped Zhao. He knows it’s the admiral’s doing even though the man’s body was never found. After all it was his fleet at the siege. And judging by Azula’s angry outburst… Well, there is only one ambitious admiral who gets to her like that.

A knock on his door startles Zuko and for a moment he thinks he imagined it. Then there it is again, slightly louder this time. His visitors tend to not ask for permission.

“Come in?” He calls out, incredulous. 

He hears a key being slotted into the lock before the trapdoor creaks open revealing Sokka’s head. He pops through, climbing up and into Zuko’s cell.

“Thanks Pabu.” Sokka says and throws the keys back to the guard below. Zuko only sees the guard’s arm as he shuts the trapdoor and promptly locks it again.

“Sokka? What are you doing here?”

“Hey.” Sokka replies, face gloomy.

“Is everything alright?” Zuko asks, brows furrowing, now alarmed.

“Yeah - everything is fine. I… uh… just want to talk.” Sokka explains and then quickly adds, “If that’s alright with you... I was taking a stroll and saw you are awake too.”

The request is unexpected. Zuko thought the damage to their friendship was irreparable. But Zuko had thought the same for Katara and the waterbender surprised him with a few visits in the past month. Until now Sokka’s absence has told him what he needs to know - that he is not forgiven.

“Okay - I’d offer you a seat… but…” Zuko gestures to the small space and it’s lack of furnishings.

“Oh - uh - may I?” Sokka points to the bed.

“Sure.” 

Zuko joins him. Both of them are sitting on the small bed, backs resting against the wall and feet dangling off its side. Neither of them speaks. Zuko wonders if he should prompt his visitor with something safe and banal. 

“I’m sorry.” Sokka breaks their silence.

“Why?” Zuko is surprised by the apology.

“For not visiting sooner I guess. You are my friend and I just… abandoned you.”

“Well, you had a good reason.”

Sokka’s lips quirk up in a small mirthless smile. “It was hard to admit I was wrong about you even after the trial… I’m sorry it got so ugly.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Sokka…”

“I talked to the chief after. He wanted to let you go free but there was just too much political pressure on him. Half of the council was against the decision actually… but there were protests outside the palace - and they had to do something… Most of the mob went home after... either satisfied or bored - who knows. So I guess the council was right in their infinite wisdom...”

“Hmm… Aang told me about it. If this is what it takes to keep the peace…then so be it. But I’m afraid the Fire Nation’s attack only aggravated a deeper discontent... This will not do if we want to win this war.”

“You are right… Morale is at an all time low right now. I think losing Yue was the worst of it... She was the people’s princess and the tribe loved her. Her death is like a wound to their collective psyche…”

Zuko observes Sokka as he describes the tribe’s loss of Yue like he is a chronicler of events, distant and detached. But in fact he lived through the tragedy like no other.

“You lost her too, Sokka.” Zuko says quietly, giving Sokka permission to mourn.

It’s been a month and Zuko is hesitant lest to bring fresh pain to a healing wound. But he knows if he ever lost Aang, a lifetime would not be enough to fully recover, nevermind a month.

At that, Sokka’s expression becomes despondent. His lips pull back and brows form mournful slopes. A few breaths go in and out of him loudly as his eyes moisten a little.

“Yeah… I literally lost her… She was in my arms and I couldn’t save her.”

“Sokka…”

“I know what you are going to say. It wasn’t my fault… There was nothing I could have done… I need to let go - ”

“All of that is true… but I was going to say - it was her choice. So, mourn her but do not be so self-important as to feel responsible for her death.”

Sokka looks up at Zuko, his face frozen between indignation and confusion. It’s apparent no one has taken this approach to comfort him. Finally, his brown skin darkens with a blush and his expression settles on slight embarrassment.

“I didn’t mean to diminish her sacrifice - I just…”

“I know Sokka… it’s clear you love her very much.” Zuko softens, putting a hand on his friend. 

“I just…” Sokka’s words refuse to come loose even when his whole body starts to shake with dry sobs.

Zuko catches the man, warm tears are spilling from him.

“I miss her so much.” He sniffs, voice thick and haggard. “Everything reminds me of her... There are these moments… when I forget she’s gone - and when I do remember, it’s like losing her all over again. I’m so afraid, Zuko… every waking moment is booby-trapped with pain…”

Zuko’s heart aches for Sokka, who is now fully crying into his shoulder, draping his entire body onto the firebender. Zuko does his best to rub soothing circles on the man’s back. He hasn’t had this much physical contact with anyone other than Aang in some time and all of it feels a bit strange.

“You will survive this Sokka...”

Sokka sniffs again “But surviving without her feels so lonely… I’m lucky to have Katara and friends… but none of you are her… no offense. I know she saved the world… and this will sound awful… but when she did that, she also chose to leave me behind… And in my darkest moments, I wish she hadn't...”

Zuko’s arms drop from Sokka and he is reminded of Aang. Before he can respond the sound of a key sliding into the locked door interrupts them. Sokka was about to apologize for overstaying his welcome before the man coming through the door gives him pause.

“You are not Pabu…” Sokka’s eyes narrow.

“Pabu is indisposed currently. But we are here to talk to his highness.” There is a mocking tone in the intruder’s answer.

Several others come through the trapdoor. Their faces are familiar to Zuko as waterbenders from the training grounds. He quickly spots Frio - Katara’s cohort and friend.

“It’s time we end this farce ash maker.” Their leader speaks again, “Tonight is the night you finally answer for your crimes.”

“You can’t take the law into your own - “ Sokka’s protest is muffled by two waterbenders grabbing him.

Immediately the rest of them are upon Zuko. The firebender tries to defend himself but his fire comes out in wisps. Before long both of his arms become frozen in space - as if held by an invisible force. With this opening, the waterbenders dogpile him and bind his limbs with coarse rope.

The group drag Zuko and Sokka down the tower and out to the prison yard. All the while Sokka is trying to yell some sense into them. The commotion does not stir any guards from their post. In its place is an eerie quiet that makes Zuko’s stomach sink. No one is coming to help them, they are on their own.

The waterbenders deposit Zuko on the ground and retreat to encircle him. One of them, a large middle aged man, has Sokka firmly in his grasp. 

Finally able to take a good look at his foes, Zuko counts eleven waterbenders surrounding him. Some are young and some old. There are a few women mixed in, notably a middle aged bender who’s hair is already turning silver, making her look old enough to be an elder. It surprises Zuko when she takes the lead in addressing him.

“Prince Zuko… Welcome to the real trial of your crimes.

“It is time for you to see all the faces of those you’ve wronged. When you had us abducted from our homes and kept us bound in cages - barely tall enough to stand in… the only thing kept us going is the thought of justice. So imagine our surprise when you trespassed onto our land bringing chaos and death. But in return you barely got a slap on the wrist. Well… that won’t do.”

The elder is handed a dagger by one of her acolytes. She advances towards Zuko with it. Sokka protests but is quickly gagged by the man holding him.

“I thought this is a trial… or are we skipping straight to execution.” Zuko observes coldly.

The woman is now standing over him. Her lips twitch upwards resembling a smile and she proceeds to take some of Zuko’s loose locks into her hand.

“Oh… you’ll get the full treatment princeling. And as part of the trial… by your own culture, a prisoner is not afforded the honor of keeping their hair - isn’t that right?” She pulls Zuko's hair taught and brings the blade to it.

This is when Zuko acts. In a flash he incinerates the ropes binding him and springs to his feet. He is about to grab her daggered hand when suddenly his limbs once again freezes mid motion. Zuko is lording over the withered woman but she is not bothered in the least. From the corners of his eyes Zuko can see her acolytes all taking the same waterbending stance. 

Suddenly it all starts to make sense. Zuko read the reports of a miraculous prison break from years ago and the details are coming back to him now.

“You are Hama of the Southern Water Tribe.”

——

Aang is incredibly pleased with the progress he is making at the Eastern Air Temple. The journey over was onerous and took much longer than he planned. But he has found Guru Pathik like Roku instructed in the Spirit World. The heavily bearded elder boasts a shiny bald head and a lean physique. He practices many of the Air Nomad traditions but is not one himself. The man switches from serene spirituality to zany humour without warning, which Aang took to easily as it reminded him of Gyatso. After just three days with the guru he managed to unlock all but his last chakra - the final step in gaining control of the Avatar State.

So as a reward for his own speedy progress, Aang spent some time raiding the abandoned wardrobes and looms of the temple looking for robes. Ever since his wedding day Aang has been dressed in garments that are foreign to him, and often, not chosen by him. The borrowed clothes on his back are functional but do not feel like home to the airbender. Aang misses the freedom of Air Nomad robes and the way they help him feel the wind.

Through his extensive search, Aang is able to piece together a complete set of robes. He even managed to find one of those coveted red capes that he had been too young - and short - to wear until now. In his search Aang found other small treasures like meditation beads and a working glider. He silently thanked the items’ former owners before packing them away for his journey.

It is late into the night when he meets the guru for their final lesson. Aang finds his way to the large terrace under the moonlight. He looks up at its full face and wonders if Zuko is looking up at it too. 

The guru is already there, sitting cross legged with his eyes closed. Sensing the Avatar's presence he speaks.

“Aang, tonight we will meditate to release your final chakra.” Pathik says, coming out of his meditative state.

Aang nods and sits down across from the guru.

“Once you open this chakra you will be able to go in and out of the Avatar State at will. And while in it, you will have full control of your actions…”

“Let’s do this.” Aang’s resolve is strong and he is excited to finally harness the hidden power churning inside of him.

“The thought chakra is located at the crown of the head. It deals with pure cosmic energy and is blocked by earthly attachments.” Pathik explains. 

“Meditate on what attaches you to this world...”

Aang closes his eyes and thinks of Zuko, revisiting the moments that so irrevocably tie him to the man. Aang is unsure when hope solidified into knowing. Somewhere in the space between small acts of kindness and life altering sacrifices, their love has become as true and dependable as the sunrise. 

“Now let those attachments go… let them flow away, forgotten.”

“What?” Aang jerks awake from his trance.

“Aang, to master the Avatar State you must learn to let go.” Pathik is calm but his voice is serious and devoid of his usual eccentricities.

“But why would I let go of Zuko? I love him! Three chakras ago that was a good thing!”

“In order to master the Avatar State you have to open all the chakras and to do so you must learn to surrender yourself.”

Surrender himself. Aang contemplates his conversations with Zuko about duty and sacrifice. He touches the red ribbon tied to his wrist and breathes out a long breath. He unties the silk and sets it aside.

“Okay… I’ll try.” Aang closes his eyes and once again enters his meditation.

The world seems to float away beneath him. He is among the stars and sees Zuko before him, smiling that unwitting goofy smile whenever Aang is successful in cheering him up. Aang focuses on his breath and the energy swirling around him. When he feels Zuko slipping away he lets his love fade into the stars. But he does not remain in darkness for long. Behind him a path of light forms and stretches onwards like an ethereal bridge. Aang follows it.

The bridge takes him to a gargantuan avatar of himself -  _ the _ Avatar, Aang supposes. He is in awe of the spirit’s towering stature and ancient power. Cosmic energy draws him towards the spirit like a magnet. His tattoos start to glow as he advances, mirroring that of the spirit’s. He can feel the power calling him, and he is starting to understand. 

The euphoria and wonder Aang feels reminds him of the first time he flew on a glider - it is freedom, purpose, and mastery. At the peak of his power, Aang suddenly loses his breath. 

He panics, not knowing what has gone wrong. Then echoes of a strangled cry comes from somewhere in the distance. Aang is confused, wondering who could possibly be in this void with him. The voice cries out again and this time it is recognizable.

Aang fights against the magnetism drawing him forwards. And with great effort he is able to turn his head towards the source of the sound. He sees Zuko hovering in the darkness, body taught as if fighting some invisible force. He is on his back, neck bent so he is looking towards Aang, upside down. Zuko’s long hair has been shorn off carelessly resulting in loose choppy locks of various lengths falling in every direction. The vein on his forehead swells from his considerable exertion to breathe. 

“Any last words, ash maker?” A woman’s voice floats across the void.

Zuko gasps for air, golden eyes wide with anger and fear. Those eyes fall on Aang and stills for a moment. 

“Tell him I’m sorry.”

“Wait!” Aang calls out to Zuko, breaking away from the cosmic energy’s pull entirely. 

He crashes through the vision of Zuko and he falls and falls and falls, into unforgiving blackness.

——

Azula’s journey home was an unpleasant one. It was full of delays and repairs. But now that she is finally back a part of her wishes she is still at sea. It’s been three days and Ozai has yet to call an audience with her. Her written report received no reply and she knows better than to seek him out. She has failed spectacularly and her father will not be kind when he does send for her.

Ozai waits another day before asking Azula to join him for dinner. She arrives like so many times before, returning home victorious from battle - but this time she feels… off. The table is laid out as she remembers. Her father’s dining room is always meticulous and sterile, this detail has not changed.

She sits and waits for him. Usually Azula would help herself to some tea, that’s the luxury she enjoyed being his favorite child - but she dares not to touch the pot this time. When the sliding doors finally open, her father enters with a cool and unbothered expression. She is not lulled by his lack of visible anger. Azula knows her father to be an angry man - and angry men with power will use any justification to wield it with abandon.

Ozai sits and readies for the meal. He doesn’t as much as glance her way. When the food comes it is only for Ozai.

“What are you still doing here?” Ozai finally speaks, voice cold as ice.

“Father? You asked me to come… I thought you wanted to discuss - “

“There is nothing more of your disastrous campaign I want to discuss. Your report has made clear the ways you have failed. What I do want to know is - why are you still in the Fire Nation.”

“I… I’m home to gather supplies to continue my mission, Father.” Azula guesses at what her father wants to hear.

“I hope four days have been enough?”

“Yes father.”

“Good - now get out of my sight.”

Azula stands and bows to Ozai before taking her leave.

“Oh - Azula... don’t bother coming home without the Avatar and his pet.” Ozai adds.

And just like that, with a single sentence, the Firelord has banished the princess from the Fire Nation.

——

Aang’s spirit crashes back into his body and he wakes screaming Zuko’s name. The world is still spinning. The dark of night does little to help him find his bearings. Aang reaches out to steady himself only to find Zuko’s ribbon beneath his palm. 

“I have to go.” He tries to sound steady.

“What happened Aang?” Pathik asks, concerned.

“Zuko’s in trouble. He needs me.” Aang does not elaborate, already up and hurrying away.

“Aang - if you go now you will lock your last chakra and won’t be able to enter the Avatar State at all!” Pathik calls after him.

The warning is enough to halt Aang in his steps but only for a moment.

“I have to go.” He says again before wrapping Zuko’s ribbon around his wrist and taking off to find Appa.

——

Katara hears the note being slipped under her door close to midnight. She’s been kept awake by her brother’s absence. Moonlight streams through the single window of their room and on the other side of it’s pale footprint Sokka’s bed remains unmade but empty. He is out for one of his late night walks and still hasn’t returned. She knows tonight would be hard on Sokka. After all, it's the first full moon since they lost Yue.

Katara wraps a robe around her body before going to the door. She opens it but the messenger has already hurried off. Turning her attention to the note she reads it quickly and then reads it again. There is only a single sentence written, and it sends her running.

_ Hama is going after Zuko tonight.  _

——

Zuko’s trial is a mockery to justice. To be subjected to two such staged farces in the span of a month is beyond intolerable. The self-righteousness of it all exhausts Zuko and their self pity bores him. While it is true his grandfather’s motives for starting the war are less honorable than he originally believed and what his father has planned is simply mad, his nation is not made of a homogenous evil. War is not a new concept to the world. A strong military has been a long standing tradition in the Fire Nation and its source of pride. Zuko is of the belief that there can be honor in war.

“There is no honor in war, dear princling.” Hama lectures, as if hearing his thoughts.

“You have caused great devastation - not only to the Water Tribes but to the Earth Kingdom... and the Air Nomad’s sacred temples. I’m sure your own husband has a thing or two to say about that.”

She is trying to provoke him and it’s working. Zuko’s eyes narrow and something resembling a growl rumbles in his throat. The other water benders still have him in their grasp. With his arms outstretched on either side, his body is hanging just off the ground like a puppet on invisible strings. They took turns to hold him like this and each time at least three benders took on the stance. It must be a taxing exercise to bloodbend, Zuko observes. 

“You are a war criminal and should be tried as such. The Council of Elders were cowards when they passed your judgement. They’re afraid to make an enemy out of the Avatar - but not I. Your dear beloved is not here to protect you now. And he will never be able to protect you from your past… The only question remains is, will you repent? Prince Zuko... denounce your nation and die with a clear conscience.”

“My conscience is perfectly clear Hama.” He calls the woman by her name. “The Fire Nation has strayed from its path and I am sorry for the pain this war has caused you… all of you.”

Zuko looks at the waterbenders encircling him.

“But I love my country. Which is why I have sacrificed many comforts to be here today, as an ally to you and your people... To right the wrongs of my forefathers. It would be unwise for you to end this partnership prematurely…”

“Your good deed does not erase your sins, princling. You will not escape judgement again…”

“And what of you, Hama? Surely your evil will forever taint any good you bring to this world… The guards you maimed and murdered during your escape. It was I who wrote the condolences to their families… their children -“

The old woman does not want to hear any more of Zuko’s testimony. He can feel her furry by the way she bends his body, twisting and suffocating it without mercy. She is speaking again, but her words are drowned out by the sound of his own pulse echoing in his skull. 

When she stops talking Zuko realizes the end is rapidly approaching. A blade is pressed to his neck. The cold steel feels sharp against his skin - the very knife they had used to hack off his hair.

“Any last words, ash maker?”

Unable to move a muscle, Zuko finds Sokka with his eyes. His friend is bound and gagged by their captors, and his distress is palpable. 

“Tell him I’m sorry.” Zuko manages in his arrested state.

It is in that moment a ferocious wave pummels them all. It violently frees Zuko from his captors and within moments he is on his feet. He finds the waterbenders scattered, tossed aside like play things by the tidal wave. Zuko, knowing it came from a master waterbender, looks around for an ally.

He spots a female figure standing on the prison walls, silhouetted by the moon.

“Katara!” He calls to her, hope springing from his belly.

She glides down an icy path of her own making and runs to them. Both of them gather by Sokka, untying the very wet victim.

“Are you okay?”

Zuko’s not sure if she’s asking him or her brother.

“Better now that you are here.” Zuko replies.

“What took you so long!” Are Sokka’s first words to his sister.

“I had to get backup.” She shoots back, cutting the last of his bindings.

As if proving her point, a dozen waterbending soldiers led by Pakku leap over the prison walls.

“Hama, what is the meaning of this?” Pakku inquires harshly.

The woman responds with violence. With her acolytes on their feet again they put on an all out offensive. Soon the prison yard is in chaos. Waterbender against waterbender. Ice and water and bodies smashing into one another in unmitigated havoc. 

Zuko fights alongside Katara seamlessly - those days of watching her train Aang has left him with a clear understanding of Katara’s movements and style. But it is him who notices the tower toppling first. Having it’s walls compromised by the fighting the entire structure groaned before bowing forwards. In its expanding shadow Katara is still hard at work fending off Hama’s men.

“Katara!” Sokka yells the warning to his sister but Zuko is closer.

He is already running full speed at the waterbender. Katara has just become aware of her situation when he tackles her to the ground. They narrowly escape being flattened by the tower.

“Are you okay?” He asks.

“Yeah… uh… thanks.” 

Zuko’s face does something extraordinary in that moment. He smiles at Katara. Her cheeks darken from a blush. This confuses Zuko for a moment before he realizes his body is still very much on top of hers. Quickly recovering, he gets up coolly and offers her a hand.

“Enough of this!” Hama’s voice silences the fighting. “We should not be fighting amongst ourselves when there is a wolf in our midst. Can you honestly tell me you don’t want to see this warmonger pay for his deeds? For all that he and his family has done to us?”

Hama raises her arms and Zuko can feel his body fall under her control once more. She flings him against a wall before slamming him to the ground. It all happens in mere seconds. When she straightens his body to stand Zuko’s hand has grabbed a dagger from the ground. He is about to jam the blade into his own neck when Hamma’s control is suddenly expelled from his body. There is barely enough time for Zuko to dodge the momentum of the act. The blade grazes his skin, drawing a few drops of blood.

Bewildered by his narrow escape Zuko is all the more confused by Hama’s sudden lack of movement. It is as if she is frozen in time - as if someone is keeping her still. The whole gaggle of benders hold their breath as they watch Katara lowering her arms, and by extension Hama to the ground. 

The soldiers hurry to cuff the woman before she is released by Katara.

“At least one of my wishes came true.” Hama calls back while being led away. 

“You have finally become a bloodbender, my beautiful niece.”

Hama’s indictment leaves Katara crying into Sokka’s shoulder.

——

When Aang arrives back at Agna Qel’a he flies Appa straight to the prison. It’s the place he last saw Zuko. But as he approaches his stomach drops. The prison looks like a war zone. Zuko’s tower is toppled over and there are craters of impact littered about.

He is inspecting the wreckage when a young man runs up to him. It’s Frio - Katara’s friend.

“Avatar Aang!” Frio greets him, out of breath from his sprint.

“Where is my husband?” Aang skips the greeting, his tone is severe, a departure from his boyish nature.

“He’s gone.”

The flash of furry across Aang’s face must have scared Frio because he supplements the statement with too much information a little too quickly.

“Zuko’s off with Katara and Sokka. I don’t know where. But after all this,” he points to the rubble around them, “it’s clear the North is not a safe place for Zuko and I guess the council just gave up on trying to keep him locked up. They were pretty embarrassed by what happened. You see, there was this secret society of bloodbenders operating on the down low in the city. They recruited me - tried with Katara but she declined on principle. She didn’t turn us in though, seeing how the woman who led us - Hama - is secretly her aunt. But it’s all out in the open now and Hama’s been arrested - thanks to Katara actually. Anyway, Hama tried to take Zuko out during the full moon. That didn’t sit well with me. I know Zuko kept to himself mostly, but I thought he’s a pretty decent guy - from the few times I did get to talk to him. I just wasn’t getting warmongering vibes off him you know? Anyway - I tried to talk sense but Hama was hearing none of it. I didn’t know what else to do but to slip Katara a note. And thank goodness I did - she showed up just in time with Pakku and a few other guys. It turned into a real brawl. At one point Zuko saved Katara from that falling tower. It was epic.”

When Frio finally stopped for breath, Aang was more confused than worried.

“You said the full moon? That was two weeks ago. When did they leave? And… did you say bloodbenders?”

“It’s a lot…I know. Why don’t you come to see the council with me? They can explain more.”

——

Iroh is preparing to open the shop when the letters arrive. They are mostly inventory updates from his suppliers. After his tenure as general to the Fire Nation Iroh has really taken to tea in his retirement. 

Using Zuko’s Agni Kai as the reason, Iroh explained to his brother his desire to fully embrace retirement - he was just getting too old for Agni Kais and court politics. Ozai granted his leave from the capital with little rebuke. 

Now, under a pseudonym Iroh has settled in the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se to open his very own tea shop. Of course the people who run the city know of his true identity but Iroh nevertheless assumes an Earth Kingdom persona to put his customers at ease. 

The first letter he opens this morning begins with  _ Rare ginseng tea en route _ , and this catches his eye. He is even more shocked when two letters later he reads the line  _ Dragon flower shipment due to arrive in weeks _ .

Iroh folds the papers and taps them on the counter thoughtfully. Seeing the pot of jasmine tea he’s brewed is ready, Iroh tucks the letters away and grabs the pot along with two cups before heading upstairs to his shared apartment.

“I’m thinking of getting some flowers for the place.” Iroh says, setting down the tea for himself and his companion.

“Whatever for?” The young man asks as he fills Iroh’s cup before his own.

“We’ll soon have visitors.”

“Who?” 

“Your husband and your sister.”

Zuko almost chokes on the tea after hearing this news.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my lord, we are finally going to Ba Sing Se....! It’s taken so long! My original plan was 3 chapters in FN, 3 in NWT, and 3 in Ba Sing Se and 3 for the final battles... well I guess I should up the total number of chapters...
> 
> The idea to put Hama into the story was a late addition. I wanted her relationship with Katara to be closer so there is even more emotional impact when Katara decides to bloodbend in the end (and rationalize why she didn’t tell everyone she knows Hama’s a bloodbender). I had fun sneaking my AU versions of events like Zuko saving Katara from being crushed by falling building and Aang’s interactions with Pathik. I lifted some of those lines straight from the show. ‘That was a good thing 3 chakras ago’ cracks me up every time.
> 
> So Iroh left the FN after Zuko and Aang escaped so he can operate more freely with the White Lotus and the freedom fighters in Ba Sing Se - who will be introduced next chapter (yay, can’t wait to write Toph). There is that throwaway line a few chapters ago about a professor discovering something in the desert. Well, we are about to pick that thread up... (The council directed Zuko, Katara, and Sokka to Ba Sing Se to help with the invasion planning after Pakku found out Iroh is there.)
> 
> Apologies for the long lag in update. I’m still writing this story and reading your lovely comments. Thanks a lot for your continued support! ❤️


	10. Chapter 10

Aang sat in the corner of the Jasmine Dragon for hours. He came in just before sundown, haloed by the golden dry heat of Ba Sing Se’s summer sun. But the shop was busy with the post-dinner crowd and no one paid any attention to the vagabond monk. 

He took his secluded seat and waved the tea boy over.

“What can I get you?” The young man asked.

“Your best jasmine please.”

“It’ll cost you - eight coppers for a pot.”

“Fine.” Was all he replied while ducking under his straw coolie hat.

The young man hesitates as if weighing if Aang’s good for the payment. But he said nothing before hurrying back to the bustle. Aang had stolen a glance after the man then, his heart pounding.

——

Zuko is wiping down the last table before he notices the monk still sitting in the corner. Second to last table then, he thinks. It’s been hours and the old man hasn’t ordered anything else besides his initial pot… their best jasmine. He doesn’t look rich. His robes are modest Air Nomad garb, his fuzzy white beard is messy, and the straw hat that obscures his face is worn to the bone. Zuko doesn’t blame the man for trying to make a good pot of tea last. But now the streets are beginning to empty and it is time for him to close shop. 

Zuko is fairly certain the monk won’t be able to settle his bill. There are plenty of airbender monks stuck in Ba Sing Se after his sister took the city. Most are refugees of little means. Cut off from their nomadic lifestyle they make a living as laborers and street performers in the Lower Ring. Some lucky ones got jobs as translators or calligraphers in the Middle Ring, but this haggered old man looks like he’s a traveller. Zuko wonders why any airbender would choose to come to this occupied city. Aang once told him he’s got friends who are refugees here… maybe this man is looking for someone he lost.

“Alright buddy. We are closing now…” Zuko says, making his way to the airbender.

The monk rummages wordlessly for the copper pieces, digging out two after some effort. Zuko is about to forgive his debt when the airbender cups the coins in his palms and reveals them spinning in a small vortex of his own making.

“I know you said eight… might you consider a discount if I do this?” A familiar voice asks.

Zuko’s heart leaps to his throat as his brain catches up with what his heart already knows. Looking back at him are the mischievous grey eyes he’s missed so much in the past months. A shit-eating grin is peaking out of what is now an obvious fake beard.

The sound of clattering coins can be heard when Zuko pulls Aang into his arms.

——

“What was that beard of yours made out of?” Zuko huffs as he tries to free his lips of Appa’s fur.

“Appa…” Aang answers, grinning at Zuko’s struggle. 

“Here, let me… ” He says, picking the last white strand from Zuko’s lower lip.

Aang has not stopped smiling since they reunited. Now comfortably lounging on top of Zuko they finally have time to talk after reacquainting in a more… physical way.

They are alone in the small apartment Zuko shared with Iroh. The retired general, upon receiving Aang warmly promptly remembered he ‘has to visit a friend tonight’… and ‘probably will not return for the evening’.

“Where is Appa anyway?” Zuko asks.

“Somewhere out there with a herd of wild bisons.”

“Aren’t you worried you’ll lose him?” 

Zuko looks concerned but Aang’s smile only widens.

“I’ve got a whistle.”

“A whistle? Is it made out of magic?” Zuko is incredulous, one brow raised exaggeratedly.

Aang laughs and it’s infectious. Zuko’s face opens up, smiling.

“Appa and I are… connected. He’ll be close by when I need him - then all I need to do is call him with my bison whistle.”

“Whatever you say, dearest.”

Zuko kisses his husband’s forehead, at the center of his tattoo. When he pulls back he sees Aang blushing - rare sight even during their courtship.

“Do you know what it means to kiss an airbender there?” Aang mumbles the question, almost sounding embarrassed.

Zuko feels blood rushing to his cheeks when his mind comes up with nothing. He knows it means something special, and it’s a thing lovers do… but with Aang’s question he is realizing his ignorance of Air Nomad culture.

“Uh… love?”

“That’s what I thought too, and in a way it is.” Aang is smiling again, letting him off the hook.

“Only after my training with Guru Pathik did I really know. The monks never got around teaching me these things… Anyway… This is the thought chakra and it’s tied to earthly attachments. Being kissed here… I guess it’s like a person asking you to let them be your tether to the world... and by allowing the kiss you are agreeing to it.”

Zuko’s eyes widen and cheeks flush even more when he remembers.

“So, on our wedding night…”

“Ha ha… Yeah, you proposed to me on our wedding night without even knowing.”

“Well, I’m glad you said yes…” Zuko whispers before closing the distance between them, this time kissing his husband’s chapped lips.

——

The next day Zuko and Aang make their way to the Lower Ring. With Azula on her way to the city, the Jasmine Dragon is no longer a safe hideout. In fact, it hasn’t been. Iroh is no doubt under the Dai Li’s watchful eye since he settled the city. But Zuko could not pass up the opportunity to see his uncle again. Leaving Katara and Sokka in the company of the Freedom Fighters, a band of rebels, Zuko made his way up to the Middle Ring alone. During his visit Zuko learned of Aang’s imminent arrival and decided to stay and wait for his husband. With his short hair and burned face, Zuko posed as a war veteran named Lee and worked in his uncle’s shop. It’s a passable disguise. But if an airbender is spotted loitering around the Jasmine Dragon as well, it will surely catch the Dai Li’s attention.

After leaving the train station, Zuko leads Aang down to the slums of the Lower Ring. He retraces his steps back to the Freedom Fighter’s headquarters - a fighting pit where folks of all sorts gather nightly to be entertained while drinking their worries away. 

The Pit’s weekly Earth Rumble event is most popular. During which recurring characters, mostly Freedom Fighters in outlandish disguises, put on a flashy earthbending fight that is scripted for maximum drama. The crowds that gather for Earth Rumble usually spill off the bleachers and fill the floor. Chaos of the event serves as cover for the rebels to do their work - passing on information and even assassinations, at least Zuko has been told. 

But in the daytime the hollow venue is free of riotous clamor. Aang and Zuko reunite with the water siblings on its empty bleachers. A few Freedom Fighters are rehearsing for their next show on the stage.

“Aang!” Katara exclaimed upon seeing him, her voice echoing off the stone dome above them.

“Katara! Sokka!” Aang rushes to hug his friends.

“This is such a surprise! Zuko, we were so worried when you didn’t return - but now it makes sense.”

“I’m sorry to have worried you Katara. It was too risky to send word.”

“Well we are glad you are back safe. Aang, how on earth did you get into the city undetected?”

“I disguised myself as an old man and blended in with a band of airbender refugees. I guess even under Fire Nation control this city is still a safe haven for many...” 

“Hmm yes, the reports we’ve been getting are pretty grim. The fighting has escalated in the remote regions of the Earth Kingdom… entire villages in the east are being burned to the ground. With nowhere else to go, Ba Sing Se is the only option for many.” Sokka informs them somberly.

Zuko lets out a long burdened sigh hearing this. Aang, senses the weight of his dismay.

“What is it, love?” Aang asks, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Zuko touches his hand to Aang’s, grateful for the gesture. Wrestling with his guilt, Zuko lets out another sigh.

“The Eastern Front used to be under my command. Father was never satisfied with my progress in moving the line forward - but it wasn’t a priority in the war so he didn’t intervene. It was a token task for his disappointing son… and I think he liked having a reason to be disappointed in me. 

“I was naive... I wanted his approval but I was going about it the wrong way - and I knew it. I saw the ruthless tactics rewarded time after time, but there was no honor in it. We were supposed to be liberating these people, bringing them prosperity not destruction... 

“So I moved from village to village, negotiating when possible. Usually the size of my army is enough to intimidate them into submission - but I tried my best to give back to the towns as well. I ordered rations to be shared with villages in need… provided security against bandits - that kind of thing. Word would spread ahead of us and as we advanced forward fighting became less necessary. But all that good will seems to be gone now. Whoever has taken command clearly subscribes to my father’s methods of destruction. It makes me sick I was ever part of this damn war.”

“Zuko… wow I never knew.” Sokka is the first to speak.

Aang has pieces of Zuko’s story from their pillow talks of yore. There were days in the palace when Zuko would come home haggered and stressed. He didn’t start sharing the details of his displeasure until well into their courtship. But eventually snippets of war room meetings came out of an exasperated Zuko as he confided in Aang. 

“You are still in this war, Zuko. We’ll make this right… together.” Aang tells his husband.

Their moment is interrupted by an explosion of sound coming from the fighting pit. Large rocks are now jutting out of the stage like miniature mountains. A few of the earthbenders practicing for their act are plastered on the ground, looking rather sorry for themselves.

“Is that all you got? I haven’t even warmed up yet!” Comes the voice of a girl, who must have just joined the benders in the pit.

“What are you doing here Toph? You're not scheduled to fight this week.” A skinny man with a clipboard is anxiously running up to the stage.

“I got bored at home. Besides, someone needs to keep you lot on your toes - that was some pathetic bending just now. You won’t be winning any fights against the Fire Nation with reflexes as slow as an elephant-ox.”

“Shhhh!” The clipboard-man’s nerves are amplified by the girl’s brazenness.

“Oh get over yourself Xin. There isn’t anyone here that isn’t one of us. Well - maybe with the exception of that guy.” She points a finger directly at Aang without looking at him. 

“That’s Toph Beifong.” Katara explains to Aang as if the name should explain everything.

“Hey Toph! This is Aang.” Sokka yells back.

“She… seems familiar.” Aang says while struggling to place the newcomer.

“Oh? She’s been living in the Upper Ring with her family for the past few years… it’s unlikely you’ve met before. Her family is rich though - so maybe you’ve heard of the Beifong name before?”

“I don’t think -“

Aang is cut off by a rock suddenly exploding from the floor beneath his feet and propelling him into the air. He manages to land with some grace but finds himself standing on stage with the girl.

“A little light on our feet aren’t we? An airbender then - you must be the Avatar.” The girl says, still not looking at Aang.

“You're blind.” Aang observes, shocked she is able to deduce so much without sight.

“Only in the eyes, Twinkletoes.” Toph bites back, sending a few more juts of rocks at him.

Aang dodges her attacks while in complete awe of her bending.

“You’re amazing!” He earnestly compliments her.

“You haven’t seen anything yet.” A smirk plays across her lips before a flurry of rocks rain down on him.

Aang evades and pulverizes the projectiles using everything he’s got - flips and jumps, fire and air. Soon he is exhausted by his own maneuvers around Toph’s relentless attacks. Just when Aang thinks the dust is settling, a boulder flies through the cloud and punches him in the gut. It’s powerful enough to knock him off the stage. 

“Aang!” Zuko calls out, slightly horrified.

After rushing to his husband, Zuko is flabbergasted to find Aang beaming up at him.

“Zuko - I think I just found my earthbending teacher.”

——

Azula looks upon the city of Ba Sing Se with a bitter taste in her mouth. Indignation burns in her like a furnace. She is returning to the site of her greatest victory in disgrace, forever tarnishing her legacy. 

No, her history has not been written yet. There is still time.

Ty Lee is by her side, quiet as a mouse. Her concern is obvious and it’s getting on Azula’s nerves.

“Are you here to stare at me or are you going to say something?” Azula snaps.

The girl squeaks a little before speaking.

“Azula, we are worried about you. We’ve never seen you like this... barely eating or sleeping.”

“Your worry won’t help me capture the Avatar, Ty Lee. Come back when you have something useful to say… The Dai Li will get you and Mai settled. There is someone in the city I need to visit.” She walks away without looking back at her entourage of two, leaving them at the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. 

Azula travels to the Middle Ring, thirsting for tea and information.

When she arrives at the Jasmine Dragon the lunch crowd is just pattering out. The elderly silhouette of her uncle is bent over a table and wiping it down.

“So this is what retirement looks like…”

The old man turns from the task at hand and is surprised to see Azula at the door. There is only a small pause before he grins broadly at her.

“What brings my favorite niece to my humble tea shop?”

“Some rest and tea - it was a long journey to get here.”

“Of course - let me put on a pot of dragon flower, I just got a new shipment in. They are your favorite right?”

After a few minutes rummaging in the back of the shop Iroh comes through the curtained doorway carrying tea and pastries on a large tray. He sets it down carefully on the square table Azula has claimed. One by one he moves the items off the tray before tucking it away on the empty seat opposite Azula.

“It’s not the season for mooncakes.” Azula says but takes an indiscriminate bite out of the pastry.

“They are more flexible in the Earth Kingdom. Plus, I know a great pastry chef in town and I bribe her for a steady supply... I like to keep some on hand for special visitors! Do you like it?”

“These were always more of Zuko’s thing.”

“Oh my dear… I seem to remember you liking them quite well before Zuko started to enjoy it too.”

“Whatever - tastes change. But speaking of Zuzu - was he one of your special visitors?” Azula shoots the question at Iroh like a dagger.

“Zuko? No - I haven’t seen the boy since… well you know. Is he in Ba Sing Se? Is that why you are here?”

“I am on a mission to bring him back into the fold. Father grows tired of his antics."

"And the Avatar?"

"Goes without saying. The boy needs to be exterminated."

"He is the same age as you Azula… And if there is one thing I know… no matter where they are… you'll have to go through your brother to get to Aang."

Azula shoots Iroh a look. 

"I know." She says remembering her encounter with Zuko up north.

"Azula, the reins of your destiny are in your own hands. Sometimes the world may tell you otherwise but you can choose -"

"Careful uncle, you are treading towards treasonous waters. But you are right, I am in control of my own destiny… and it is to sit on the throne as Firelord." Azula bites out.

It is then an unassuming girl enters the shop and interrupts them.

"Uncle? Sorry to bother you but is Lee here?" The girl asks Iroh.

"Ah hello Jin, it is no trouble. I'm sorry to say Lee has quit. I am not sure where the traveller has gone."

The girl's cheerful features fall into despair at the news. She has something in her hands, a box wrapped in pretty fabric. 

"I can't believe he left without saying goodbye…. I brought him mooncakes…" She looks down at the gift, dejected.

"I'm sorry my dear."

Jin looks over to Azula, finally acknowledging the princess in disguise. A flicker of recognition seems to register in her.

"Do you know Lee?" She asks hesitantly.

"Why on earth would you ask that girl?" Azula narrows her eyes.

"Oh nothing… I thought… it's silly."

"Spit it out." Azula commands.

"You two kinda look alike that's all."

Azula covers her eye with a hand and asks Jin if her flaky boyfriend has a scar on his face. The girl looks at Iroh and then back at Azula before shaking her head rigidly.

"No he doesn't… Anyway, sorry to have bothered you two. Please take these as an apology." 

Jin looks frightened when she leaves the box on their table and bids them goodbye. Azula follows the girl with her hawk-like gaze as Jin disappears into the Ba Sing Se heat.

——

Professor Zei’s journey to the Spirit Library instantly shot the man to legendary status among the Freedom Fighters. His findings are heralded as the most decisive piece of wartime intelligence against the Fire Nation. Zei’s bravery and ingenuity grows ever more extraordinary through the countless retelling of his story. The real man, while still alive and well as the head of Anthropology at Ba Sing Se University, finds himself quite detached from his heroism. 

In reality the bookish man had spent the most wonderful week of his life in the underground library. In between its endless shelves he learned many things of this world and beyond. While his hunger for knowledge was well fed by the books, his body shriveled at the lack of sustenance over his stay. The professor’s supplies ran out a few days into his studies but he could not bring himself to leave. 

Wan Shi Tong, the spirit guardian of the library, watched the human closely. Unbeknownst to Zei, he was the sole subject of a crucial test. If he failed, his life would have been the price - and the library, lost.

On the seventh day Zei was approached by the large owl spirit. Wan Shi Tong’s feathered body, black as night, towered over the professor like death incarnate.

“You are dying.” The spirit asserted.

“Hmm…” Zei replied half-heartedly, still reading his book.

“You should show your host more respect when spoken to, human.” There is a hint of annoyance from the owl.

“Oh! I’m sorry Wang Shi Tong. I didn’t notice you there.” The professor hastedly closed his book. 

Zei stood up to greet his imposing host. But his plummeting blood pressure made the room spin and soon he was falling face first into the tied floor.

Wan Shi Tong watched the human sway on his feet and then topple towards him. It surprised the both of them when he intervened and steadied the professor with a wing.

“You should go home.” Wan Shi Tong told Zei.

“It’s too late for that Wan Shi Tong… I think I was always prepared to die here - to be buried with these books. If I leave now I’ll only die in the desert.”

The human seemed to be oddly content with his predicament. Wan Shi Tong’s black beady eyes stared down the human for several moments, as if contemplating his fate. Then, without warning, the spirit flapped his giant wings and grabbed Zei with his talons. 

Zei was sure that’s how he was going to die. But when he felt the warmth of the sun on his face Zei opened his eyes and found himself flying over the desert.

“What’s going on?” He shouted against the wind.

“I’m taking you home.” Zei hears Wan Shi Tong’s voice in his head.

“But why?”

“I don’t want your rotting corpse stinking up my library.” Was the only answer Zei got.

In truth, Wan Shi Tong had been impressed by the professor. Over the millenia humans would come to his library seeking means to their myopic ends. They come and taint the purity of knowledge with their measly and often grotesque ambitions. It was what led the spirit to all but bury his library. Zei was the first human in a decade to visit him - and he was ready to be disappointed again. 

But the professor was not like the other humans. He was not there to win a war or even a promotion. The human truly and plainly wanted knowledge for the knowledge sake. For the first time in centuries Wan Shi Tong felt something other than disdain for the human race.

It was deep into the night when the spirit dropped Zei outside the anthropology wing of the university. Wan Shi Tong’s black feathers blended into his surroundings, adding to this ethereal presence. 

“How…” Zei was shocked by their destination.

“You are the Head of Anthropology at the University of Ba Sing Se, are you not?”

“Y-yes.”

“I do have maps in my library.” The spirit's inflection hints at humor. He says nothing more before taking off with a few flaps of his powerful wings and disappearing into the darkness.

——

The days after his miraculous arrival back at Ba Sing Se, Zei locked himself in a room and wrote down all he could remember from his journey. His assistant, Haru, worked tirelessly alongside him, copying his notes.

Haru, a youth from one of the villages that fell under occupation early in the war, worked for Zei to subsidize his studies at the university. He hoped to better his prospects through education. He dreamed of lifting his family out of poverty and moving them into the city. But when the Fire Nation took Ba Sing Se Haru saw his dreams crushed. Earlier this year his mother wrote to him about his father’s arrest for the now illegal practice of earthbending. It was then Haru decided to join the Freedom Fighters. 

It was Haru who made the connection between Zei’s notes. The celestial charts Zei brought back pointed to a repeat of what was ‘the darkest day in Fire Nation history’. A total eclipse rendering firebenders helpless for mere minutes. He diligently worked the charts to calculate the date of the eclipse and rushed the information to his most trusted comrades. 

All of that work is what brings them together today. Aang, Zuko, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Haru and a few others gathered around a map of the Fire Nation capital.

“The day of black sun is just under two months from now. Initially we planned to take back the city with this advantage but having learned the Firelord’s plans - well, we’ll have to think bigger.”

It’s Jet who is leading them in this meeting. A year or so older than Aang, the leader of the Freedom Fighters is barely into adulthood himself. But his charisma and shrewdness make him seem older than the rest and he is well loved by those who follow him. 

“The capital is large and its defenses strong… even with the eclipse, which is only eight minutes, this will not be easy.” Zuko reminds them.

“The invasion will happen before it starts. We are saving the eclipse for you father.” Jet replies pointedly.

The room grows tense with silence. Zuko looks up from the map and directly at Jet.

“He’ll be in the bunkers under the palace grounds. You’ll need to plan your time well.”

——

Professor Zei has just finished preparing his notes for the next day’s lectures when he hears the rustling behind him. A gust of wind extinguishes his lone candle. He is not entirely surprised when he turns around and finds the giant black owl spirit hovering over him. His white feathered face seems to float in the air as his body is camouflaged by darkness. Wan Shi Tong’s usual obsidian eyes now glow faintly with reflected moonlight and they stare down at him animalistically.

“You’ve broken your promise.” The spirit is cold and angry.

Professor Zei’s shoulders drop and he looks down guiltily.

“I’m sorry Wan Shi Tong. It was not my intention…”

“I should have fulfilled your wish to die amongst the books. You humans are so predictable and disappointing.”

——

Haru finds Zei’s body the next morning after he fails to show up for the lecture. The man’s throat has been ripped open by what can only be a ferocious beast. But in a city as urban as Ba Sing Se there are no obvious suspects. 

The mysterious circumstances around Zei’s death only boosts his legendary status. Meanwhile deep in the desert, Wan Shi Tong’s library sinks beneath the hot sands and is forever lost to humanity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m actually really proud of this chapter? I really like writing Aang and Zuko’s reunion. It’s like a meet-cute but they are already married ahahaha. 
> 
> The Azula scene was pretty vivid in my mind when I wrote it. I really wanted Jin in the story so to have her inadvertently let the cat out of the bag serves the purpose nicely. I originally had her bring Zuko the pastry while Aang was in the shop and it’s through Aang’s amused POV - Zuko would be an idiot and completely oblivious to the Jin’s affections. #comedy
> 
> I’m leaning towards Azula/Ty Lee pairing but I haven’t decided yet....I really want to write a scene where Sokka sees the parallels between Zuko/Aang and Azula/Ty lee but no one else does and it drives him a bit nuts. hmmm or maybe she’ll just be happy single *shrugs.
> 
> Finally - omg I did not set out to write a whole section about the Library, but Wan Shi Tong is such a dramatic bitch and I couldn’t resist lol. It gave me a chance to bring Haru into the story too. So basically everyone is here and the Freedom Fighters is not just Jet’s group (they expanded once they got to Ba Sing Se!). 
> 
> Next chapter we will see Katara and Jet being awkward ex’s and Suki will show up. And the Boulder! I love the Boulder.... There will be more earthbending training with Toph. There will be time for the gaang to form and have a few happy days before... cross roads of destiny. Oh yes my pretties... I’m GOING THERE. Be prepared.....
> 
> Thanks for reading! 💕


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